"Clever...beguiling....Readers age 11 and older are likely to finish
this book feeling both persuaded and uplifted. Beauty has a way of doing
that."
--Wall Street Journal
For young readers comes an imaginative guide to ocean plastics, filled
with tips and tricks for identifying--and combating--pollution in our
oceans.
Inspired by biologist AnaPêgo's life's work, and filled with engaging
science and colorful photographs, this foundational look at plastic
pollution in the ocean explains why it is such an urgent contemporary
issue.
When she was young, Ana Pêgo didn't play in a backyard, but on a beach.
She walked along the shore, looked at tide pools, and collected fossils.
As she grew older, Pêgo noticed a new species at the seaside: plastic.
She decided to collect it, study it, and give it a Latin
name--Plasticus maritimus--to warn people of its dangers to our
planet.
Pêgo tells us how plastics end up in our rivers, lakes, and oceans,
shares plastic's chemical composition and physical properties, and
offers a field guide to help readers identify and understand this new
invasive species in all its forms, from the obvious (fishing nets and
water bottles) to the unfamiliar (tiny, clear particles called
microplastics). Finally, she offers a critical look at our current
"solutions" to plastic contamination and in her most important
proposal--REVOLUTIONIZE--calls for deep changes in our habits,
motivating young and old alike to make a difference, together. An
artificial and almost indestructible species, Plasticus maritimus
deserves to have its days numbered! Together, we can send it packing.
"A cleverly conceived and comprehensive introduction to a serious
issue."-- Kirkus Reviews
Honorable Mention--Bologna Ragazzi Award.
Published in Partnership with the David Suzuki Institute.
