Today is the big day — it’s release day for my newest book Secrets of the Stars: 15 Bedtime Stories Inspired By Nature.

Here’s what the publisher Neon Squid has to say about it:

A beautifully illustrated collection of 5-minute bedtime stories about the wildlife that comes out at night.

Every night reveals a thousand secrets… In this charming anthology of children’s stories by Alicia Klepeis readers will be guided under the light of the moon to meet the amazing animals that come out when we’re all asleep. In one story a lost wolf pup has to find its way back to its pack, while another looks at a flying fox as it goes for a midnight swim. Kids will be thrilled by the pineapplefish who has a flashlight built into its mouth, and marvel at a dung beetle that navigates by looking at the stars!

Other stories feature American alligators, Fennec foxes, wombats, snowy owls, bushbabies, flying frogs, luna moths and even a rat making its way across a sleeping city. All of these nighttime animals and their habitats are brought to life with impressive skill by illustrator Jennifer Falkner.

Each story in Secrets of the Stars is based on the real biology and behavior of these amazing wild animals, and at the end of each tale readers will find out more about the science that inspired the story. So as they drift off to sleep, they will know a little bit more about the animals that are waking up and beginning their day.

Want to be read the full story and see all the illustrations for “Learning from the Expert” or hear the audio book version of “Keep On Rolling”? Go to the following link on my website and enjoy!

I always say that one of the best parts of my job is learning new things. While working on the Neon Squid book Secrets of the Ocean: 15 Bedtime Stories Inspired By Nature, I spent a chunk of time researching whale sharks on the Ningaloo Reef off the coast of Western Australia. These magnificent creatures are the world’s biggest fish. While they are most commonly seen in the 13-39 foot (4-12 meter) range, they can reach a whopping 59 feet (18 meters) long! 

When I was researching, I never dreamed that I would get the chance to see these gentle giants in the wild. But when a work opportunity brought my husband to Australia, I decided to piggyback onto the trip and explore the Ningaloo Reef in person. Since I often talk about Australia and marine life during school visits, it was a no brainer to learn more about life on this incredible fringing reef. 

August 14, 2025 was the big day. It was quite windy and the ocean was “swelly” according to our guides. Although I am not a super confident deep ocean swimmer, I followed directions and stuck close to the instructors. It was amazing to get to swim only meters away from the whale sharks. These filter feeders are not interested in (or capable of) eating people. They swim with their wide mouths open, feeding on plankton and small fish. What magnificent creatures! The whale shark I swam near was a female and was about 4-5 meters long. Each whale shark has its own unique pattern of spots and stripes, which scientists can use to identify them when researching.

Thanks to my publisher Neon Squid for giving me such a fascinating assignment. I am so grateful that I had the chance to see a marine animal I had researched and written about in the wild. 

School visits are one of the greatest parts of my job. I love meeting students, librarians, and teachers all over the world. But when a lot of preparation is done in advance of a school visit, that’s when the magic happens. I would like to give a shout-out to the wonderful librarian and the whole team at Naples Elementary School in Naples, NY for one of the most amazing days I have ever had at a school. I got the chance to work with students in Grades K-6, giving the following presentations: Amazing Animals (K-2), Let’s Go There (3), Making Nonfiction Fun (4-5), and Food Around the Globe (6).

I felt welcome from the moment I arrived. What a sight greeted me as I entered the building — a celebration of colorful shoes (a passion of mine)! 

Well before I arrived, the students had read some of my books and done projects related to them in preparation for the visit. Here were some of the highlights from the hallways and the library:

Students in K-1 created flamingo artwork connected to my Flamingos book. 

The second graders decorated the library with snakes, in connection to my Rainbow Boas book.

Other learners worked on parrot paintings connected to the book Parrots.

Older students made global connections to my country books and The World’s Strangest Foods, as seen here:

In conjunction with the art teacher, some students created penguin-themed artwork related to Penguins & Polar Bears: A Pretty Cool Introduction to the Arctic and Antarctic.

Thank you so much to everyone at Naples Elementary!

Today is the birthday of my newest book, Secrets Of The Ocean: 15 Bedtime Stories Inspired By Nature. I’m delighted to share it with readers and ocean lovers around the world!

Here’s the book description from the publisher, Neon Squid:

A beautifully illustrated collection of 5-minute bedtime stories about the wildlife found in seas and oceans around the world.

Every ocean contains a thousand secrets… In this charming anthology of children’s stories by Alicia Klepeis readers will be guided under the waves to meet the amazing animals that live there. In one story an orca grandmother teaches younger members of the pod how to find the best fish, while another looks at a mimic octopus as it changes appearance to disguise itself from different predators. Kids will be thrilled by the tale of an otter and her cub playing in a kelp forest, and marvel at a jellyfish that looks like a fried egg!

Other stories feature swimming iguanas, diving penguins, deep-sea anglerfish, albatrosses in love, leaping dolphins, sleepy dugongs, majestic whales, hungry sea turtles, ancient sharks, and marching crabs! All of these marine animals and their habitats are brought to life with impressive skill by illustrator Kaja Kajfež.

Each story in Secrets of the Ocean is based on the real biology and behavior of these amazing wild animals, and at the end of each tale readers will find out more about the science that inspired the story. So as they drift off to sleep, they will know a little bit more about the world around them.

The cover features a timeless design with colorful foil and a cloth texture, making this book the perfect gift.

WANT TO SEE MORE?

As the weather warms up and thoughts of summer vacation are on everyone’s minds, I wanted to say thank you to all of the amazing librarians, teachers, administrators, and parent volunteers who made the 2023-2024 school visit season fantastic. This year’s visits took me to Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Massachusetts, and New York. I got to spend time with thousands of kids from PreK through Grade 8, talking about everything from color-changing animals to daily life around the globe — all while weaving my writing process into the mix. I am so grateful for the fun learning experiences and great conversations we had. Kids ask the best questions! Here are just a few snippets from this year’s visits: 

Bulletin Board in Redding, CT

Social Media Post from Meridian, ID

School Newsletter Article from Marcy, NY

Want to hear more about what schools had to say regarding my visits? Pop on over to my School Visits page and check out the Testimonials section:https://aliciaklepeis.com/school-visits/

Thinking about having an author visit next school year? Have any questions about my visits or fees? Please reach out to Allyson Hickey at Booked Authors: https://bookedauthors.com/contact-us/ She knows the whole scoop and will make planning your next author visit a…

Looking for something new to read? My latest series, Wild About Cats!, was just released on January 1. There are six titles in the series, which is written at a second grade reading level but is geared toward kids in K-3. 

Here’s the description of the series from the publisher, Bellwether Media:

Calling all cat fans! This series introduces readers to the world’s wild cats, including what they look like, their behaviors, and their conservation status. Features call out specific body parts, compare big cats to house cats, highlight favorite foods, profile the cats’ babies, and more. Readers who are wild about cats will enjoy this fun and informative series!

Want a sneak peek inside a couple of these books? 

From Mountain Lions:

From Leopards:

Want to know anything else about individual titles or the series in general?

https://bellwethermedia.com/shop/show/13065

Happy Reading!

Today is a very happy day for me! It’s the release date for my new book — and audiobook — Secrets of the Forest:15 Bedtime Stories Inspired By Nature. Want to know more? Here’s the description from the publisher, Neon Squid…

A beautifully illustrated collection of 5 minute bedtime stories about the wildlife found in woods around the world.

Every forest contains a thousand secrets… In this charming anthology of stories by Alicia Klepeis readers will be guided into forests to meet the amazing animals that live there. In one story a squirrel hunts for an elusive acorn it buried earlier in the year, while another looks at an Alaskan wood frog as it freezes itself alive to survive a harsh winter. Children will be thrilled by the tale of a reindeer that gets separated from its herd in the snowy woods of Scandinavia, and marvel at a chameleon changing color in the forests of Madagascar.

Other stories feature elephants, wild cats, pangolins, badgers, foxes, monarch butterflies, otters, walking fish, a tree that can live for thousands of years, and even forest-dwelling penguins! All of these creatures and their habitats are brought to life with impressive skill by illustrator Kristen Adam.

Each story is based on the real biology and behavior of these amazing wild animals, and at the end of each tale readers will find out more about the science that inspired the story. So as they drift off to sleep, they will know a little bit more about the world around them.

Patches of colored leaves. Yellow buses. Runs to purchase boxes of crayons. All these signs are reminders that a new school year is upon us. What does that mean for me as a writer? It’s school visit season again! I love going to schools and getting kids excited about research, writing, and the amazing world around us. With 15 books that came out this summer, I have lots of new material to share on topics ranging from the history of pets to frogs from around the world to NFL teams. Whether your school is looking for a presentation on a theme like Making Nonfiction Fun or Amazing Animals or wants to create a bespoke program on specific countries or regions, anything is possible!

Have any questions about my school visits? Please reach out to Booked Authors and they can answer anything you’d like to know: https://bookedauthors.com/project/alicia-klepeis/

I hope to see you at your school this year!

Do you have a pet cat or dog? Have you always wanted a pet lizard or fish? Are you curious about how and when birds and snakes first became household pets? All of these questions and more are part of the content covered in my new, six-book History of Pets series, published by Jump! The books are being released on August 1, 2023. Want to learn more? Here’s a link from the publisher with some sample pages: https://jumplibrary.com/shop/show/14093

Happy New Year! I recently worked to create a list of some of my very favorite nonfiction books about the polar regions. There are suggestions for older and younger readers, and the book formats range from nonfiction poetry to longer chapter books. Here’s the link.

Have other suggestions of books you like on the topic? Reach out and drop me a line — I’d love to hear from you!