13 spooktacular Halloween picture books for kids
Halloween night is fast approaching, and if you’re tired of hiding the candy from the kids (okay, and maybe yourself…) might I recommend a delightful Halloween read to keep the excitement of the season without all the sugar? Here are thirteen (because it is Halloween, after all) of my favorite picture books to share with little ones this spooky season.
A little ghost is all set to give someone a good old-fashioned fright, but she can't find her boo! She searches high and low, but where did it go? Mom tries to explain that her days of scaring are over, but this little ghost won't give up so easily. Decidedly not scary but rather oh-so-sweet, the rhyming text and fun wordplay make this a perfect read aloud with a surprise interactive ending. —Seira Wilson, Amazon Editor
Ages 2-4
Ages 2-4
If your kids love the classic Disney movie, The Nightmare Before Christmas, then this Little Golden Book adaptation is the perfect read for the days leading up to Jack Skellington’s favorite holiday. The delightful illustrations are filled with expressive characters shown with a mix of bright colors and shades of grey, perfect for this cute story of a bored Pumpkin King and a lonely rag doll. Familiar and fun, this book is as sweet, funny, and wonderful as the film behind it. —Seira Wilson, Amazon Editor
Ages 3 and up
Ages 3 and up
After the success of 5 More Sleeps Before Christmas, Jimmy Fallon has turned to another favorite holiday: Halloween! Featuring the same boy and his dog as in his previous book, this cute rhyming story is paired with bright illustrations full of Halloween flair and just the right amount of spookiness. Perfect for those last bedtimes full of excitement, this new picture book is bound to become a perennial favorite. —Seira Wilson, Amazon Editor
Ages 3-6
Ages 3-6
I love Ryan T. Higgins’ Mother Bruce books with the somewhat cantankerous blue bear and his overly exuberant sidekicks of geese and mice. The humor is spot-on and so are the accompanying illustrations, particularly the characters’ facial expressions that you can’t help but smile at. Bruce and the Legend of Soggy Hollow is perfect for Halloween with its play on The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (without the dark and spooky stuff), but is also a fun read any time of year. —Seira Wilson, Amazon Editor
Ages 3 to 5
Ages 3 to 5
The spooky spirit is here and it’s time to carve pumpkins, dress up in a creative costume, and trick-or-treat around the neighborhood. Frank Morrison’s illustrations bring the neighborhood to life, and I Got the Spooky Spirit is a festive celebration of Halloween from putting up decorations to dancing at a party with the grown-ups, who are dressed up too. A wonderful new addition to Halloween picture books for kids. —Seira Wilson, Amazon Editor
Ages 3-6
Ages 3-6
This special Halloween story stars a pumpkin without a stem who is called Stumpkin. From his place on a store shelf, Stumpkin watches as his friends are chosen to become jack-o’-lanterns and wishes very much for a window of his own. At last it’s Halloween night and Stumpkin is the only pumpkin left, but the wonderful lesson here is that home is sometimes right in front of us, and Stumpkin takes pride of place in the shop window. A truly lovely Halloween tale. —Seira Wilson, Amazon Editor
Ages 3-5
Ages 3-5
A vampire with a flair for fashion, Vladislav Varnaby Roland Dragul has a secret. In most ways he’s the same as the other vampires dressed in black, only instead of the usual waxy complexion of the undead, Vlad has cheeks the color of ripe strawberries. As you may have guessed, Vlad tries to hide his differences (using his flair for fashion, of course), only to discover he’s not the only one pretty in pink… Drago’s illustrations are full of fun details and muted shades with touches of color (pinks, of course), making this picture book a fabulous new addition to bookshelves this Halloween and beyond. You also don’t want to miss Drago’s Gustavo, the Shy Ghost and Leila, the Perfect Witch. —Seira Wilson, Amazon Editor
Ages 3 to 7
Ages 3 to 7
In this Halloween-themed addition to the How Do Dinosaurs series of picture books, kids get the best of both worlds—all kinds of dinosaurs and Halloween fun! Mark Teague’s illustrations with each dinosaur—in costume—dominating the page, are bright and inviting, and the brief text is in extra-large font making it perfect for beginning readers to help read aloud. These dinos could wreak havoc on Halloween night, but instead, they are the picture of helpfulness and manners. A particularly wonderful read for the dinosaur-obsessed. —Seira Wilson, Amazon Editor
Ages 3-5
Ages 3-5
Creepy Carrots! still cracks me up even though I’ve read it multiple since it came out in 2012. While not Halloween themed, this is always a great time for me to once again sing its praises. Peter Brown won a Caldecott Honor for his fantastic illustrations combining an old-cinema feel with cartoon-style characters that are hugely appealing—and funny! The long and short of the story is Jasper the rabbit is just free-ranging it in the carrot patch, chowing them down day after day without a thought. Until the carrots come a-calling… Adults will probably hear the echo of a horror movie score behind the story but it never gets scary, only suspenseful and funny, teaching a valuable lesson about greed to boot. —Seira Wilson, Amazon Editor
Ages 3 to 6
Ages 3 to 6
Making friends can be scary—even if you’re a ghost! Little Ghost really wants a friend but is too afraid to try to because he thinks he will scare kids away. But when a girl and her family move in next door, the night before Halloween, he decides to take a chance. The story is so sweet and the sentiment of being yourself, being brave, and making friends is one that lasts throughout the year. The warm illustrations are full of little details and this is a special, feel-good Halloween story that kids will love. —Seira Wilson, Amazon Editor
Ages 4-8
Ages 4-8
Nicola Killen's simple color palette—beautiful shades of grey, white, and orange (including pops of foil)—is used to great advantage to create crisp details and perspective that beg the reader to examine each page long after the words have been read. Little ones will love this story of a girl named Ollie, her cat Pumpkin, and a lost kitten rescue. The autumnal setting and tale of good deeds and friendship give this picture book life long past October 31st. —Seira Wilson, Amazon Editor
Ages 4-8
Ages 4-8
Jessie Sima, the creator of Not Quite Narwhal, brings us a delightful new story perfect for the season. Hardly Haunted is the tale of an empty house with creaky floors and squeaky doors, who thinks she just might be…haunted. But after a gusty, windy night, the house decides she doesn’t mind being noisy after all, and lo and behold, a ghostly family arrives to makes this haunted house a home. —Seira Wilson, Amazon Editor
Ages 4-8
Ages 4-8
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