Eleven-year-old Pepe witnesses how violent men in suits hunt an octopus. The men belong to a group of unscrupulous environmental exploiters who want to dispose of the octopus because it has a dedicated mission: He wants to convince people to stop producing plastic waste. A chance encounter between Pepe and the slimy sea ambassador turns into a close friendship. A road trip together takes them on a fast-paced journey from Hamburg harbour to the South China Sea. Following the pattern of a spy thriller, the waste mafia ambushes them here, there and everywhere with ever new harassment. It is fortunate that the two of them receive active support wherever they go. A wide variety of child and adult characters become effective helpers, each of whom stands up for Pepe, the octopus and environmental protection in their own way.
This voluminous book is a real page-turner from start to finish. With plot-driving ideas of impressive originality, Stepha Quitterer deals with the weighty topics of environmental pollution, climate change and waste avoidance: accessible, stirring and with its very own humour, which is ingeniously underlined by Claudia Weikert's black-and-white drawings. This title is nominated for the 2024 German Children՚s Literature Award.