Rituals
“Pumpkin Spice” Featured in “LitPOP” Article!
My children’s book Pumpkin Spice is one of the 10 books featured in a LitPOP article by Cara Broel called “10 New Children’s Books That Perfectly Capture the Fall Spirit.” You can read the article HERE.
Here’s what Cara had to say about Pumpkin Spice:
Little Pumpkin Spice, in her pumpkin costume, is fully prepared to start painting the leaves—that’s how they change into fall colors, right? Thankfully, a talking pumpkin named Jack is there to set her straight, and the two embark on a fun-filled sensory exploration of the sights, sounds, and especially smells that make fall great. Bonus: This one includes a pumpkin spice blend recipe kids can make at home!
You may already know this next part, 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.
Here’s what critics are saying about Pumpkin Spice:
“Dong’s warm, cheerful illustrations enhance the cozy fall vibe…A lightly enjoyable seasonal pick that will find a place in fall displays.”—School Library Journal
“Rich with sensory detail, Pumpkin Spice makes a great introduction to fall for little bookworms.”—Bookstr
“Teachers who teach in early education classrooms will want to add this delightful board book to their collection of fall picture books.”—HubPages
“This board book will be much-loved by everyone who enjoys pumpkin spiced…well, everything…each autumn.” —Kids R Us
Basically, if there was a Pulitzer Prize for “Most Cozy Book,” Pumpkin Spice would win it. (I think.)
And to see all of the other books I’ve written for Penguin Random House (even the ones which don’t involve pumpkins, spice, or any combination thereof), click HERE.
Reminder: Astoria Bookshop Storytime Event on Sunday Sept 21st!
Just a quick reminder: This coming Sunday, September 21st at 11:30am, I’ll be doing a special Sunday Storytime event at Astoria Bookshop. Specifically, 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.
And Astoria Bookshop’s address is:
36-19 30th Street (just off 36th Avenue)
Astoria, NY
USA 11106
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.
Here’s what critics are saying about Pumpkin Spice:
“Dong’s warm, cheerful illustrations enhance the cozy fall vibe…A lightly enjoyable seasonal pick that will find a place in fall displays.”—School Library Journal
“Rich with sensory detail, Pumpkin Spice makes a great introduction to fall for little bookworms.”—Bookstr
“Teachers who teach in early education classrooms will want to add this delightful board book to their collection of fall picture books.”—HubPages
And to see all of the other books I’ve written for Penguin Random House (which don’t involve pumpkins, or gourds of ANY kind, for that matter), click HERE.
Also, here’s a photo of me, which was taken by Carl Kelsch. I’ve included it here 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, it’s probably not me. Or it’s my understudy. (I mean, in a perfect world, authors WOULD have understudies, right?)
“Something You Should Know” Podcast Interview!
A few weeks ago, I was a guest on an episode of the Something You Should Know podcast, where host Mike Carruthers interviewed me. During the interview, we chatted about my new book The Encyclopedia of Curious Rituals and Superstitions. Or, as the SYSK folks put it in their official description of the episode:
Even if you don’t believe in them, you probably participate in some superstitions. Maybe you knock on wood or avoid walking under a ladder or steer clear of black cats. Where do these superstitions come from? Why do they still exist since we know they don’t really do anything? Here to explain this is Arie Kaplan, who has written numerous books and graphic novels and is also a television writer. Arie is author of a book called The Encyclopedia of Curious Rituals and Superstitions: Ancient and Remarkable Traditions That Will Captivate Your Mind (https://amzn.to/44xpZ8m).
Anyway, I’m writing this blog post because the episode is out NOW! It’s Episode #1231, titled “Where Superstitions Come From & What You Never Knew About Paul Revere.” My interview begins at the 00:05:29 mark.
Listen to it on the Something You Should Know site, which you can find HERE.
Or you can listen to it via Apple Podcasts, which you can find HERE.
To find out more about The Encyclopedia of Curious Rituals and Superstitions, go HERE.
Perhaps you even want to buy a copy of the book, after listening to that podcast interview. Well, you’re in luck! You can buy it HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE! 