Arie
Happy 626 Day from Stitch…and Me!
Today is “626 Day,” an annual fan-fueled holiday in honor of Disney’s Stitch, aka “Experiment 626.” And as you may know, over the past four years, I’ve written several Stitch children’s books for Scholastic.
Three of them are available now. They are:
1) The Book of Mischief, an activity book which you can learn more about HERE. And as you can see from the image I’ve posted here, the cover of this book even looks like Stitch! The cover has Stitch’s eyes, nose, mouth, and floppy ears, and it’s made of fuzzy blue plush fabric, so it even feels like Stitch. And yes, the cover of this book is very similar to the cover of ANOTHER Stitch activity book I wrote a few years ago, titled The Adventures of YOU and Stitch. You know what? That’s life sometimes: stuff resembles other stuff. Or in this case, new stuff resembles old stuff. Anyway, this is the official publisher description of The Book of Mischief:
For fans of Disney’s Lilo and Stitch, this new plush activity book features fun writing prompts, drawing prompts, activities, and games.
2) Out-of-This-World Numbers, which you can learn more about HERE. Now, you might assume that this book teaches kids about numbers from 1-10 or something like that. And that’s not actually true. This book teaches kids interesting science facts! But it does that in a very sneaky way: in the book, Stitch tells Lilo about some “interesting and awesome numbers,” each of which is tied to a specific science fact. Like the number 80,000, which is the number of miles the average person walks during their lifetime. Here’s the official 
publisher description of Out-of-This-World Numbers:
Stitch tells Lilo he really likes numbers. In fact, he thinks they are out of this world! Embrace a cosmic attitude and read along to find out which numbers leave Stitch starry eyed!
3) Friends Rock, which you can learn more about HERE. This is a board book which teaches young children about emotions. It also features a squishy replica of Stitch’s head on the final spread. Kids can squish and knead the squishy Stitch head! Which kids (especially very young ones) are wont to do! Here’s a publisher description of Friends Rock:
Lilo is disappointed when Stitch doesn’t want to dance. Stitch is nervous that his plan to cheer Lilo up won’t work. Follow along in this heartwarming friendship story to identify and explore feelings with Lilo and Stitch!
I should also mention that these three books are only available for distribution through the school market. In other words, they’re exclusively available through Scholastic Reading Events (aka Scholastic Book Clubs), so you won’t be able to find them on Amazon. But you CAN find them via the links I’ve provided above.
“National Parks Coloring Book” preorder promo on B&N
A few months ago, I wrote the fact-filled text for a beautifully illustrated volume called The National Parks Coloring Book, which is exactly what it sounds like: a coloring book featuring all 63 national parks located in the United States, from Acadia in Maine to Zion in Utah.
The book was illustrated by Amy Grimes and Lucy Rose, and it will be published by Get Creative 6 on January 5th, 2027.
I’m quite proud of my work on this book. It involved a lot of hard work and a ton of research. Also, as I mentioned above: the illustrations are gorgeous.
And as it happens, Barnes and Noble is currently having a special deal on preorders, for all upcoming releases, including The National Parks Coloring Book. People who preorder the book can get 25% off with the following code: PREORDER25! The sale runs until Friday June 26th. More info HERE.
Also, Premium Members always get an additional 10% off their print book pre-orders. (However, some exclusions apply, like signed books and textbooks.)
Here’s the official publisher’s description for The National Parks Coloring Book:
Explore and color America the Beautiful in this gorgeous coloring book featuring original illustrations of ALL the US National Parks—perfect for fans of nature and coloring alike!
Bring the beauty of America’s National Parks home and color a stunning range of majestic landscapes.
- Artist created, not AI or stock: All 63 coloring images were drawn by illustrators Amy Grimes and Lucy Rose specifically for this book.
- A high-quality coloring experience with designs printed on premium heavyweight paper perfect for pencils, pens, or markers alike—no bleed through! Special sewn binding lets the book open flat.
- Frame-worthy illustrationsare printed on one side of the poster-sized page so they can be easily removed to color and display.
- The perfect gift for National Park enthusiastswith eye-catching spot varnish on the cover, sample colored-in pages from illustrator Amy Grimes, and park descriptions written by Arie Kaplan.
National Parks visitors and nature enthusiasts will love this premium coloring book with original artwork of all 63 National Parks, from Acadia in Maine to Zion in Utah. Each park’s coloring page is accompanied by information about the featured landmarks and wildlife, with other notable facts and recommendations for visitors.
On this coloring journey through America’s National Parks, you’ll find:
- Stunning rock formations like Santa Elena Canyon at Big Bend in Texas
- Awe-inspiring mountainous horizons as seen in the Great Smoky Mountains
- Famous natural wonders like Old Faithful geyser at Yellowstone
- Unique flora, like Great Basin’s bristlecone pine trees
- Animals in their natural habitats, like brown bears catching salmon at Katmai’s Brooks Falls in Alaska
- The best views America has to offer—from the Grand Canyon to Glacier Bay
Relax, color in nature, and get to know the many National Parks of the United States before or after your travels and hikes. With attractive spot varnish on the cover, thick paper inside, and sample coloring and photos for easy reference, this beautiful coloring book makes an excellent gift for the nature-lover or colorist in your life, or adventurous escape for yourself.
BTW, aside from the Barnes & Noble website, you can also preorder the book HERE and HERE, but there aren’t any preorder promotional deals associated with either of those sites (not at the moment, anyway).
“96 Facts About FIFA” is out NOW!
Hey, guess what? The latest book in the “96 Facts” series – 96 Facts About FIFA – came out TODAY. And as with most of the previous “96 Facts” books, 96 Facts About FIFA was written by me
and illustrated by the amazing Risa Rodil.
Here’s the official publisher description of 96 Facts About FIFA:
The ultimate fact book and journal about the world’s premier authority on soccer and its biggest tournaments, like the World Cup. Packed with fun facts, quick quizzes, and bonus pages for journaling, this is a must-have for anyone wanting to know more about the international governing body of soccer and some of the sport’s best players, including Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé, Mia Hamm, Marta Vieira da Silva, and Pelé.
The book is available HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE.
And to see all of the other books I’ve written for Penguin Random House, click HERE.