20 Halloween Picture Books to Read Aloud
My son loves Halloween. If it’s creepy, or gross, or spooky, my son cannot get enough. Back in July, he had a huge melt down in the middle of Target because I wouldn’t “make it Halloween”, which he was certain I was capable of doing. This is true. I cannot make this up. Four year olds are a special kind of passionate, and this one just happens to be super passionate about Halloween.
So naturally, our library haul this month was HUGE. We had SO MANY BOOKS to go through to figure out which ones would go on a list of Halloween picture books for kids. I took a while to build this list and I think it may even grow in the future.
And so, without further ado, I bring you our giant list of Halloween Picture Books for Kids.
20 Read Aloud Picture Books Perfect for Halloween
Spookley the Square Pumpkin
A favorite in our house at Halloween time, and actually all year long. Spookley the Square Pumpkin is a wonderful anti-bullying story, a great book about being yourself, and perfect for halloween. Check out this fun activity we did based on Spookley the Square Pumpkin.
It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown
This was a favorite cartoon of mine growing up. I still quote it often (“I got a rock!”) and my son is learning to love it as well. The picture book version is just as memorable and adorable. It tells the story of the cartoon special, with images from the tv show. It’s a great nostalgic read aloud to share with your kids, especially if you are a fan of Charlie Brown and his friends.
Creepy Carrots
This book, as well as the other book in this series “Creepy Pair of Underwear”, really surprised me. Mostly because, as a writer, I recognize a traditional horror plot line and it’s incredibly cute to see one at play here. These books tells a spooky story without being too scary and it’s a good introduction to the horror genre for little ones without being scary enough to give them nightmares. My son really took to these books and thinks they are very funny. He asks for the “scary carrot book” a lot. I think these will be on our shelf for a long time.
The Halloween Tree
We’ve all heard of Christmas trees, but what if there was a tree that just didn’t like Christmas. What if there were a tree who wanted to look scary and be grumpy? It Ould get lonely though, wouldn’t it? I love this cute little tale of a little sapling that finds his calling as a “Halloween Tree”.
Boneapart Falls Apart
Poor little Boneaparte is always losing his parts. What is he going to do when it’s time to go back to school? His friends find solutions but none of them feel quite right. This book approaches the subject of problem solving in a fun and lighthearted way. If you have a little Halloween lover, they are sure to get a kick out of seeing Frankenstein and a mummy help their skeleton friend with his dilemma.
The Nightmare Before Christmas
I had an internal debate about whether this was a Halloween book or a Christmas book. Ultimately, I decided that it was both. This book is the original text that inspired the movie, and it’s become as frequently recited in our house as “The Night Before Christmas”, both at halloween and Christmas. Original illustrations by Tim Burton make this macabre rhyme into a truly special book. As a lifelong fan of the movie and Tim Burton’s work, I love this book and it is one of my son’s favorites year round.
Trick or Treat in Colorado
This one is more of a local book for those who live in Colorado. As a Colorado native, I love the references to local geography and tourist attractions. It’s a fun souvenir if you visit as well. It’s also a very cute story about a little alien going trick or treating, even if you haven’t been to Colorado before.
We’re Going on a Goon Hunt
This book is a fun new take on the classic “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt”. It follows a similar pattern and plot, but with a creepy goon and halloween themes, rather than a bear in the woods.
Goodnight Goon
Again, we seen a parody of classic. This book takes “Goodnight Moon” and gives it a creepy makeover. I daresay I actually like it better this way. It’s far more fun to read, that’s for sure.
Big Pumpkin
A friend told me about this book, which as a favorite of hers when she was little, and I can totally see why. The patterns and repetition in this book are memorable, and so are the fun and spooky characters who work together to pull the Big Pumpkin out of the garden.
Room on the Broom
Oh, Julia Donaldson. There just really isn’t much more to say. If you have not read this classic book about sharing and lending a hand to others, you need to. It’s definitely a year round book and not just for Halloween, but I couldn’t resit adding it to the list.
Little Boo
A cute little pumpkin seed wants to be big, but growing takes time. I really like the message in this story about growing up. I feel like kids are often impatient to be “big kids” and this book speaks to that. The easily predictable ending will have the kids anticipating the end as much as Little Boo does.
The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything
How did I go my life without reading this book? I knew it existed and I never got to read it until recently. My son loves it. He has it memorized and likes to repeat the “wiggle, wiggle” and “shake, shake” lines. I never would have thought this book would be such a hit in my house, and now I think I need to buy it, because my son has asked about it twice since it went back to the library.
How Big Could Your Pumpkin Grow?
This one is a little less Halloween and a little more Fall, but I felt like it should be on this list anyway. The book asks the hypothetical question of how big a pumpkin can grow, and has many imaginative ideas about what one might do with a pumpkin that big. The pictures really make the book special and I just love looking at it. It’s a fun book to have out during the season for guests to look at as well as a great fall/halloween read aloud.
Happy Halloween, Stinky face
“I Love You Stinky, Face” is one of my favorite books to read to my son, and I often call him that because of it. This Halloween version of the book lacks some of the tender maternal sweetness of the first book but follows a similar pattern of question and answer. It deals with some of the anxiety of unknowns when kids are out trick or treating, though most of the fears seem over-the top silly and irrational. I would have liked to see more realistic anxieties and fear about going out on Halloween, addressed in a way that was maternal and loving, but this book is much more just for fun. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though.
How to Scare a Ghost
This cute little book from the creators of “How to Babysit a Grandpa” is a fun how to for Halloween. It’s a not-so-scary halloween book with lost of adorable illustrations and cute ideas for scaring a ghost.
Snowmen at Halloween
Wow, every time I look at this one I see something I hadn’t noticed before. We’ve gone through it a few times just looking at the pictures. The snowmen in costumes are a real treat. It’s adorable and fun. My son loves the vampire one and does a big fake knee slapping laugh every time he sees it on the page.
Ghost in the House
I love when you can add rhyming and counting to a book and it doesn’t feel forced. The rhyme in this book is a great way to intro cued counting 1-5 and has a funny surprise ending. It’s quite memorable and my son and I have taken to doing the rhyme with our fingers in the grocery store line if he’s getting restless. This would be very good for a Halloween read aloud in a preschool class.
Dino- Halloween
This book takes my little boy’s two favorite things right now (dinosaurs and halloween), and blends them together with a cute story about dinosaurs going trick or treating and carving pumpkins, but one of them just can’t seem to make up their mind about anything. It’s definitely a good halloween book for a dinosaur lover.
Mouse’s First Halloween
This book is a little tamer for little kids who may be a little afraid of Halloween. It addresses the fact that Halloween can be very intimidating and scary for smaller kids, while pointing out that those things make it fun.
What do you think?
Did we miss any?
What are your favorite Halloween Picture Books?
