autumn
Astoria Bookshop Storytime Event on Sept 21st!
Attention, people of Earth! Er…I mean, people of Queens! Well, actually, people of Astoria, Queens, specifically! On Sunday, September 21st at 11:30am, I’ll be doing a special Sunday Storytime event at Astoria Bookshop. During the event, I’ll be reading from my new children’s book Pumpkin Spice, which is out now from Penguin Random House.
Here’s the official description of the event from the Astoria Bookshop site:
Special Sunday Story Time: PUMPKIN SPICE with author Arie Kaplan
Sunday Sep 21st, 2025
11:30 AM–12:15 PM
Family Events
Join us every other Sunday for family storytime! On September 21st we welcome a special guest reader, author Arie Kaplan, with his board book Pumpkin Spice.
A delicious celebration of fall that hits all the senses, complete with a recipe for a homemade pumpkin spice blend! Little ones will love cozying up with this board book and learning all about the delights of autumn.
Stroller parking is available at the front of the store and near the register. Our restroom has a changing table. If you have any accessibility requests, please contact us at least 3 days in advance at events@astoriabookshop.com. Click the RSVP button to get an email reminder.
For more info, click HERE.
Astoria Bookshop’s address is:
36-19 30th Street
Astoria, NY
USA 11106
Pumpkin Spice was written by yours truly and illustrated by the wonderful Monique Dong. The book is available at bookstores everywhere, as well as HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE.
And to see all of the other books I’ve written for Penguin Random House (which don’t involve pumpkins, spice, or any combination thereof), click HERE.
Since there’s a while between now and the Storytime event, here’s my headshot (photo by Carl Kelsch), so that you can see what I look like. If you’re at Astoria Bookshop on September 21st and the person reading from Pumpkin Spice looks nothing like this, either it’s not me, or I’ve had pretty drastic plastic surgery.
“Pumpkin Spice” Mentioned In “Kids R Us” article!
My new children’s book Pumpkin Spice was mentioned in an article on “Fun New Halloween Books” over on the Kids R Us site. Okay, fine, it’s more of a “review” than a “mention.” Here’s what the folks at Kids R Us had to say about Pumpkin Spice:
“This board book will be much-loved by everyone who enjoys pumpkin spiced… well, everything… each autumn. And that includes me and my little ones! Each page is beautifully illustrated, showing how fall colors help to make the season special. But sight is not the only sense that this book appeals to! It also includes descriptions of pumpkin spices, and even has a recipe to create your own pumpkin spice blend. Adults (like me) will enjoy reading the book to their little ones, who are sure to love every page. That said, it’s fun for readers that the little girl (in a pumpkin costume) is in dialogue with a real pumpkin (living jack-o-lantern??), as they discuss fall colors, aromas, and flavors. Does the excited pumpkin know what pumpkin spice is normally used for? That bit of fun aside, my kids love to read and re-read this book, as they look forward to the sights, smells, and tastes that every fall will bring.”
Pretty great, eh?
Read the entire article HERE.
Pumpkin Spice was written by yours truly and illustrated by the wonderful Monique Dong. The book is out now from Penguin Random House. It’s available at bookstores everywhere, as well as HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE.
And to see all of the other books I’ve written for Penguin Random House (books which don’t involve pumpkins, spice, or any combination thereof), click HERE.
“YA Books Central” Interview!
As I mentioned in my previous blog post, I wrote a children’s book called Pumpkin Spice, which was illustrated by the amazing Monique Dong. The book is out now from Penguin Random House.
Recently, YA Books Central – also known as YA (and Kids) Books Central – interviewed me. During the interview, I talked about all things Pumpkin Spice: what inspired me to write the book, what scene I’m proudest of, what the book is really about (thematically), and more!
But I also talked about my creative journey and writing career in general. For instance, I discussed the most important thing I’ve learned as a writer, the type of music I listen to while writing, and what my favorite literary tropes are.
You can read the whole YABC interview HERE.
Hey, if you make it to the end of the interview, there’s even a giveaway! (So – you know – you should probably read it all the way to the end.)
You can buy a copy of Pumpkin Spice HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE.
And to see all of the other books I’ve written for Penguin Random House, click HERE.