"A delightful mix of education and entertainment, The Encyclopedia of Curious Rituals and Superstitions is a spirited salute to humanity's quirks--proof that even our silliest beliefs have something to say."

"Written in an appealingly chatty style, this packs an impressive amount of research into an entertaining package."

Arie Kaplan is the author of the 96 Facts series of middle-grade biographies (96 Facts About Taylor Swift, 96 Facts About Timothée Chalamet, et al.). Before that, Arie wrote the six-volume Shockzone: Games & Gamers series of children’s nonfiction books, which covered every aspect of the video-game industry. Arie also wrote the award-winning nonfiction title From Krakow to Krypton: Jews and Comic Books, and he has lectured on the history of the comic book industry at colleges, universities, museums, and literary festivals all over the world. In addition, he has authored nonfiction books on a wide range of topics, from the life of Vlad the Impaler to the history of piracy. He most recently penned the highly anticipated and beautifully illustrated Encyclopedia of Epic Myths and Legends: Extraordinary and Mesmerizing Stories That Will Boggle Your Mind, the second volume in the wildly popular Wonderpedia series. 

Aside from his work as a nonfiction author, Arie has written numerous books and graphic novels for young readers, including The Jurassic Park Little Golden Book, Frankie and the Dragon, LEGO Star Wars: The Official Stormtrooper Training Manual, The New Kid from Planet Glorf, Batman: Harley at Bat, The Spider-Man Comictivity Book, Shadow Guy and Gamma Gal: Heroes Unite, and Speed Racer: Chronicles of the Racer.

In addition, he has penned scripts for such iconic comic book series as Star Wars Adventures, MAD Magazine, Tales from the Crypt, Archie & Friends, Looney Tunes, and Bart Simpson Comics.

When he’s not working on his latest book, comic book story, or graphic novel, Arie is a screenwriter for television, video games, and transmedia. He lives in New York City, New York, with his wife and daughter. Please check out his website: ariekaplan.com.