Books published by publisher Millbrook Press, 2003

What is a haiku? It sounds like a sneeze. And isn't a lantern a light source? Actually, they are two types of ancient Japanese poetry. Award-winning author Brian P. Cleary explains how each form works—and shows how these little poems can contain big surprises! If It Rains Pancakes is packed with poems to make you chuckle, puzzle, and ponder. And when you’ve finished reading, you can try your hand at writing your own haiku and lanterns!

The audience was completely silent the first time Billie Holiday performed a song called "Strange Fruit." In the 1930s, Billie was known as a performer of jazz and blues music, but this song wasn't either of those things. It was a song about injustice, and it would change her life forever.Discover how two outsiders—Billie Holiday, a young black woman raised in poverty, and Abel Meeropol, the son of Jewish immigrants—combined their talents to create a song that challenged racism and paved the way for the Civil Rights movement.

Some farms grow vegetables or grains, and some raise cows, sheep, chickens, or pigs. But have you ever heard of a butterfly farm? How do you raise a butterfly? On a farm in Costa Rica, workers care for these delicate, winged creatures as they change from eggs to caterpillars to pupae. Like any other crop, the butterflies will eventually leave the farm. But where will they go? And just how do you ship a butterfly? Very carefully! To discover how it works, follow these butterflies on a remarkable journey!

"Dino" Don Lessem brings readers face-to-face with various dinosaur species, detailing their habitats, way of life and how they became extinct. An acclaimed dinosaur expert, Don Lessem has written more than 30 children's books, writes a popular dinosaur column in Highlights magazine, and was an adviser for Jurassic Park. Take a trip through dinosaur time to meet these feathered dinosaurs face to face: The Caudipteryx had feathered arms and a tail that looked like a pom-pom! The Sinovenator may have used colorful feathers to attract a mate! The Microraptor may have used its feathers to glide or even fly! Plus, you'll get to know Beipiaosaurus, Epidendrosaurus, Protarchaeopteryx, Sinosauropteryx, and Velociraptor.

Meet Hex. She's a fairy-tale witch! Hex has magic powers. She likes to fly around and play tricks on people. But don't worry. Hex is not real. She's one of the monsters you meet in stories. She just wants to tell you about fairy-tale witches. Learn how a witch scares villagers. Meet different kinds of witches around the world. And find out where witch tales come from. You'll have a creepy time with this monster buddy!

Meet Pablo. He's a ghost! He flies around and moves through walls! He loves to play tricks on living people. But don't get creeped out. Pablo's not real. He's one of the monsters you meet in stories. He just wants to tell you about ghosts. Find out how a ghost haunts a house. Learn about different kinds of ghosts around the world. And check out some of Pablo's favorite tricks. You'll have a wild time with this monster buddy!

Are zombies real? As far as we know, dead people do not come back to life and start walking around, looking for trouble. But there are things that can take over the bodies and brains of innocent creatures, turning them into senseless slaves. Meet nature's zombie makers—including a fly-enslaving fungus, a suicide worm, and a cockroach-taming wasp—and their victims.

Meet Ami. She's a mummy! She used to sleep in a tomb. Now she smashes through walls! But don't run away. Ami's not real. She's one of the monsters you meet in stories. She just wants to tell you about mummies. Find out how a person becomes a mummy. Learn about the treasures in a mummy’s tomb. And discover what brings a mummy back to life. You’ll have a scary time with this monster buddy!

Meet Zeeton. It's an alien! Zeeton comes from another planet. It flies around space in a spaceship! But don't worry. Zeeton's not real. It's one of the monsters you meet in stories. It just wants to tell you about aliens. Check out Zeeton's cool spaceship. Find out what Zeeton is doing on Earth. And learn why people on Earth started telling alien stories. You'll have an out-of-this-world time with this monster buddy!