Jilanne Hoffmann & Khao Le
The Ocean's Heart - The Tiny Creatures Essential to Life
Far below the ocean’s surface
live tiny, restless creatures
called zooplankton.
They are the ocean’s heart.
Dive into the incredible undersea lives of zooplankton, miniscule animals that race to the ocean’s surface to feed on plants. It’s the largest migration of animals on Earth, and it takes place every single night.
Billions upon billions of microscopic animals—zooplankton—paddle from the ocean’s depths to its surface. On their journey, they swim daunting distances through predator-infested waters in pursuit of a midnight feast. Zooplankton are so small, and they live so deep, that we may never see them—but the entire food web depends upon their survival.
Venture into the ocean’s twilight zone with Jilanne Hoffmann’s lyrical, evocative prose and Khoa Le’s luminous illustrations of these tiny yet magnificent creatures.
Millbrook Press
Non-fiction Picture Book
Age 6+
32 pp
hc | 229 x 280 mm
Publication: March 2026
Author: Jilanne Hoffmann
Illustrator: Khoa Le
All rights available, excl. Chinese (simpl. & compl.), Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Turkish
- A poetic and visually stunning introduction to an essential component in the ocean's food chain
Awards
“This shimmering tale of interdependence and survival is STEM storytelling at its best.”—starred, Kirkus Reviews, 3 November 2025
“An interesting, dynamic resource that makes complex environmental science accessible.” —School Library Journal, 21 January 2025
“Utilizing brief, poetic language, the narrative invites readers on a journey through the ocean, from the depths of the twilight zone to the surface, on a path that zooplankton travel every day. Thoughtfully designed illustrations present a wide variety of zooplankton in a setting that is accessible for young readers, occasionally modifying the traditional display of a picture book to offer a more resonant representation of the depths to which these creatures descend. Reviewer Rating: 5”—Children’s Literature (CLCD), 2 March 2026
“Le’s swarms of translucent, detailed sea life offer a series of ghostly spectacles that go wonderfully well with the oratorical narrative to make a big splash with young readers.”—starred, Booklist, 13 February 2026