In book one of this rhyming 3 book series, Tommy is introduced as sad and lonely. None of the other fish will play with him because he is a multicolored fish and they are all one color. A wise old Crab helps Tommy to see that his colors are just fine and that he is perfect as he is. Despite their scorn, Tommy bravely acts to protect the other fish, allowing them to see his character not just his color. The other fish apologize for how they have treated him, and they all share a cooperative adventure before the book ends.