Pumpkin Spice
“Pumpkin Spice” Spotlighted in “Bookstr” Article!
My children’s book Pumpkin Spice is one of the 3 books spotlighted in this Bookstr article by Phoebe Pineda called “Celebrate the Start of Fall With These 3 New Children’s Books.” The article is part of Bookstr’s “Three to Read” book recommendation series, and you can read it HERE.
Here are just a few of the things Phoebe had to say about Pumpkin Spice:
Rich with sensory detail, Pumpkin Spice makes a great introduction to fall for little bookworms. Arie Kaplan and Monique Dong guide readers along on a neighborhood tour of autumn activities, with adorable illustrations accompanying vivid descriptions. Leaves glow and blaze as squirrels gather nuts and kids trick-or-treat. A Thanksgiving dinner fills the air with cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. It’s enough to make any child’s mouth water — and as a bonus, the book even includes a recipe for homemade pumpkin spice!
Isn’t that great?
The folks at Bookstr have also put up a video on YouTube and Instagram where they recommend all 3 books in the article, including Pumpkin Spice. You can see the YouTube version of the video below:
Hopefully, you already know this next part by now, but just in case you don’t: 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 (which don’t involve pumpkins, spice, or any combination thereof), click HERE.
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.