Marisa's family lives in Hawaii. They are Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Hawaiian, and haole, and every New Year's Eve they all go to Grandma's house to eat dumpling soup. This year, Marisa gets to help her grandmother, mother, and aunts make mandoo for the traditional soup. Marisa is upset when her mandoo turn out lumpy and misshapen, but her family doesn't care how they look as long as they taste good. Kids will delight in the many New Year's traditions of this extended multicultural family.