The Ocean's Heart The Tiny Creatures Essential to Life

By: Jilanne Hoffmann

Published by Lerner Publishing Group, 2026-03-03

<p>Far below the ocean's surface / live tiny, restless creatures / called zooplankton. / They are the ocean's heart.</p> <p>The largest migration of animals on Earth happens every single night as 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.</p>