The Swordfish Jeremiah suffers from the Sharp Smiles, the Bullies of the Abyss. He suffers silently until he decides to open his heart to his godmother, the Mermaid. He raises his nose and looks them in the eye with calm and courage, setting his boundaries. Beside him stand all the beleaguered fish of the depths.

A story about school bullying. The book includes an appendix with advice for children who find themselves in the role of the victim, the bully, or the bystander, as well as suggestions for processing the story in the classroom.