Moominpappa has committed to writing a Great Novel About the Sea, and so the whole family moves to a desolate island where Moominpappa becomes the lighthouse keeper. It soon becomes apparent that there are a few problems with the island: It's haunted, there's nowhere to enjoy a good cup of tea, and the rat family living in the transistor radio has strictly forbidden the Moomins from using the radio until the children have all grown up and moved out. Determined, the Moomins set about planting a rose garden, painting the beacon cheery colors, and finding other ways to make the lonely place their own. In the end, though, is a bleak lighthouse any place for a Moomin?