I enjoy Halloween, but I think I enjoy anticipating it more than I do the actual holiday. The decorations come out at the beginning of October (fall still has to have its time to shine), the playlist of spooky songs is on repeat, and I started a tradition of reading 13 picture books to my kids to celebrate Halloween.
Some of these books actually stay on our shelves year-round because they’re not Halloween-specific, while others get tucked away in the bin on November 1 to enjoy the next year. You can start early in the month on your countdown or do it more as an advent with just 13 days left until Halloween. No matter how you do it, these picture books will help you get in the mood for Oct. 31. I wrote this post later with even MORE Halloween books!
Pick a Pumpkin by Patricia Toht
This book was released in July, and I actually preordered it and got it then because I just KNEW it would be good, thanks to her first book Pick a Pine Tree (also with illustrator Jarvis). It did not disappoint. The story follows a family who picks out pumpkins at a pumpkin patch, carves them into jack-o-lanterns, and then dresses up for Halloween. The illustrations are stunning, and I love the diversity of skin tones in this book! This one would look so pretty displayed on a themed book shelf for the season.
The Berenstain Bears Trick or Treat by Stan and Jan Berenstain
You probably read this as a kid, along with all the other books in the series, but this Berenstain Bears book was always one of my favorites. Brother and Sister Bear dress up and go trick-or-treating with their friends, but they’re afraid to go to Old Miz McGrizz’s home because of the rumors about her. It ends with a message about how appearances can be deceiving. While I don’t think I’d ever let my kids trick-or-treat on their own, I still think this is a classic (and my kids love it, too).
Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson
The same duo that created The Gruffalo (which I LOVE) is responsible for this fun rhyming story about a witch who keeps losing things while she’s flying, like her hairbow, her hat, and her wand. Animals help her find them when she lands, and then they keep climbing aboard her broom for a ride. There’s also a cute animated cartoon of this available on Amazon Prime, so if your kids like the book, they can watch it come to life on screen.
How to Make Friends with a Ghost by Rebecca Green
I just discovered this book a couple weeks ago, and it is delightful. Written in the same vein as Dragons Love Tacos or How to Give Your Cat a Bath: In Five Easy Steps, this faux self-help book explains how to make a ghost feel comfortable, what to feed it, how to take care of it, and what to do as you get older and your ghost stays the same. The illustrations are adorable, and I love that it takes something scary like a ghost and makes it seem like caring for a pet.
Snowmen at Halloween by Caralyn Buehner
If you’re familiar with the other Snowmen books, this one follows the same format. Some kids make snowmen when snow falls early before Halloween, and then the snowmen come to life and do crazy and fun things to celebrate the holiday together. It’s fun to look at these pictures with your kids and see the snowmen dressed up in costumes and bobbing for apples. Also, we own several of the Snowmen books, and I somehow missed the fact that there’s a mouse hidden on every page! Bonus: If you have school-age kids, this book is on sale right now in the book order.
Bonaparte Falls Apart by Margery Cuyler
Skeletons can’t be cute, right? Wrong! At least Bonaparte, the skeleton in this book, is absolutely adorable. He keeps falling apart and losing different bones (it sounds creepy, but I promise it’s not), and he’s worried about going to school for the first time. Luckily, his friends have some ideas about how to help him stay together.
The Biggest Pumpkin Ever by Steven Kroll
This author has several books like this one for holidays, but this story about two mice taking care of the same pumpkin is so sweet. One mouse wants to enter the pumpkin in a contest, while the other just wants to carve it into a giant jack-o-lantern for Halloween. They both carefully water the pumpkin, even giving it sugar water, and make sure it has the right soil, and neither knows the other one exists — until they discover each other putting blankets over the pumpkin to keep it warm.
Ghosts in the House! by Kazuno Kohara
I was blown away by this book when I first checked it out a few years ago. A witch moves into a haunted house, but she isn’t afraid of the ghosts living there. Instead, she finds creative ways to put the ghosts to use, like hanging one as a curtain, using another as a tablecloth, and putting one on the bed like a sheet. The entire book is orange and black with translucent white ghosts on the pages, and the color scheme just makes the story pop.
The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams
When a little old lady goes out for a walk one night, she starts to hear strange noises and see various articles of clothing walking behind her. They all keep building on each other to create a sort of ghost/monster, but she is NOT afraid of it and has some tricks up her sleeve. This book has a great rhythm to it and is so fun to read out loud!
Sir Simon: Super Scarer by Cale Atkinson
This quirky book caught me off-guard when I checked it out last week, because I was NOT expecting it to be so funny! Simon, the ghost who narrates the story, explains that professional scarers have “ghost chores” they have to do, like flushing the toilet in the middle of the night, making floors creak, and slamming doors. Then, when a grandma and her grandson move into his house, he realizes he can enlist the boy’s help in doing some of his ghost chores. The illustrations and dialogue in this book are so great.
Ten Orange Pumpkins by Stephen Savage
While this is a basic counting book in which one pumpkin disappears in a different way on every page, the illustrations are so engaging that even parents will like this book. The numbers are bold throughout the book, and Savage uses bright colors and a minimalist style to bring the story to life. Your kids will be engaged by the rhymes and the pictures.
The Scariest Book Ever by Bob Shea
I will be honest and say that I’m not normally a Bob Shea fan, because his books are always too weird for me. However, I do like this one a lot. The ghost narrating the story is nervous about everything and warning you not to turn the page because any number of things might be waiting. Of course, when you turn the page, there are neon colors and charming woodland creatures, and treats and doughnuts. Also, the ghost spills orange juice on his white sheet, so then he’s translucent through the rest of the book, and I just love the texture and his facial expressions. This one is goofy, but give it a try.
What Was I Scared Of? by Dr. Seuss
Somehow I missed this classic Dr. Seuss book when I was a kid, but I still love it as an adult. The narrator is terrified by a pair of pants walking around with no one inside them, but the pants are ALSO afraid of him. Make sure to get the version with glow-in-the-dark pictures. The pants glow on every page when you shine a flashlight on them, and it’s so fun to look at the book with your kids.
Now it’s your turn! What are your favorite Halloween books? Do you read the same books to your kids each year?
