Plastic Plankton

"A wild, wave-crashing adventure with heart, humor, and a heroic pug-Plastic Plankton is environmental fiction that's as entertaining as it is urgent. Think sailing buddy adventure with a dash of Ironman grit. You'll laugh, cheer, and maybe even rethink that plastic bottle."

In paradise, the ocean is choking from plastic-and it's going to take a pug in a cape, rogue best friend sailors, and one Ironman-in-training to fight back. On the Big Island of Hawaii, volcanoes simmer and waterfalls thunder as Tilly trains for the grueling Kona Ironman-not for glory, but to raise awareness about plastic pollution. Across the sea, her estranged brother Moore and his best friend Spit (a hip hop-obsessed stoner with a good heart and questionable sea legs) sail toward the Great Pacific Garbage Patch to check out a high-tech plastic cleanup device. But something smells fishier than the ocean air.

The machine's success is a lie, rigged by soda giant SodaCo-and it's going to take more than good intentions to expose the truth. Enter: a rebel insider with a conscience, an old French sailor with salt in his veins, the freewheeling Sandglass bike-surf crew, a gentle Hawaiian giant, and a tiny pug named Plastic who's ready to save the planet-one bark at a time.

Plastic Plankton is the second novella in the Pedro the Water Dog Saves the Planet series: a fast, funny, irreverent cli-fi adventure full of friendship, satire, epic landscapes, and a reminder that it takes all kinds of heroes (even the four-legged ones) to clean up a very human mess.

"In these wonderful stories, Kalfsbeek addresses important environmental issues through the loving, gentle hands of a cast of characters that are easy to connect with. One wants to be part of this healthy gang; it is easy to fall in love with one or two of them. She has found an avenue to address these critical issues that must be talked about but without a heavy hammer. A delightful read that will fill you with hope and a forgotten bounce in your step, or pedal."

-Chris White, author of Wind, Waves and a Suicidal Boat

About the Author

Avis Kalfsbeek is the author of Plastic Plankton, the second book in the Pedro the Water Dog Saves the Planet series-a smart, satirical, and joyfully rebellious collection of outdoor climate adventures that tackle big environmental issues with heart, humor, and a healthy dose of chaos. In Plastic Plankton, Avis sails into the murky waters of ocean plastic, corporate greenwashing, and sibling misadventures, weaving a story that's equal parts tropical escapade and environmental call to action. From Ironman training on the Big Island to pug-powered heroism on the high seas, her storytelling celebrates friendship, resilience, and the idea that saving the planet doesn't have to look perfect-it just has to start somewhere. She lives with her own water dog, Teo Panadero Pescadero, exploring the coastal trails, backroads, and beaches where nature, activism, and storytelling come together.