Floating in a little boat, Mike (an elephant) naps while Pat (a goldfish in a bowl) looks down at the ocean and dives in to explore. She finds a cheerful world full of friendly fish and assorted sea creatures. When a shark appears, the animals scatter and hide, all except Pat, who ends up in its jaws. But wait! Feet first, Mike (an elephantine deus ex machina) descends, landing on the shark and freeing his friend. When the big fellow needs help getting off the ocean floor, little fish boost him toward the surface. Henry makes comedy look easy in this volume from the I Like to Read series. Printed in large type, the short, simple text uses repeated words effectively. Much of the book's humor is visual, from the surprise of the elephant-versus-shark encounter to the improbable sight of the fish propelling Mike upward with bubbles. Created with ink, watercolor, gouache, and acrylic, the playful illustrations set the tone for the story of this funny book, which is sure to engage beginning readers.

As boating elephant Mike naps, his pet fish jumps out of his fishbowl and into the ocean. Fish Pat enjoys the adventure until a shark arrives; "Pat needs help," which arrives in the form of Mike (who himself later needs help to resurface). Told in a combination of expressive paintings, simple sentences, and speech-bubble interjections, this rather unexciting story is nevertheless suitable as an easy reader.