The 31 Best Halloween Picture Books for Kids
Grab your flashlights and gather the goblins! It’s time for oh-so-slightly spooky storytime to celebrate the one and only night of fright: Halloween!
From ghosts to ghouls and bats to black cats, we’ve included all the classic Halloween characters in this roundup of 31 picture books to get your kids in the spooktacular spirit. And if you want to involve the babies and toddlers in this storytime, we’ve brewed up the best board books you can add to the lineup.
So snuggle in your Halloween jammies, snag some sweet treats, and devour these boo-tiful picture books!
Halloween Picture Books
1 | Leila the Perfect Witch by Flavia Z. Dragon
Lelia is a young witch that excels at everything she does – she’s the fastest flyer and superb shapeshifter. This year, Leila hopes to win the witchy cake-off, but baking doesn’t come as easy to her as many other tasks.
Luckily, her three magical sisters offer to help and she discovers that baking with them is fun!
2 | Stumpkin by Lucy Ruth Cummins
Stumpkin is the most handsome pumpkin on the city block. There’s just one problem. He has a stump, not a stem, and no one seems to want a stemless jack-o-lantern. As Halloween approaches, more and more of his pumpkin friends leave, but Stumpkin remains. Will anyone give him a chance?
From a pumpkin’s point of view, a sweet Halloween tale with gourd-eous monochrome illustrations with pops of orange.
3 | The Little Kitten by Nicola Killen
One fall day, Ollie is playing outside with her cat, Pumpkin, when they come upon a kitten buried in a pile of leaves. While Pumpkin naps, Ollie follows her new kitten friend into the woods and discovers the kitten is lost.
Ollie helps return the kitten to her home and soon realizes she has become separated from her cat Pumpkin! She hurries out of the woods, and the two finally reunite and snuggle together at home.
The grayscale illustrations featuring orange foil and peek-through details make this one even more enjoyable. Don’t miss the surprise illustration on the final page!
4 | The Little Ghost Who Was a Quilt by Riel Nason
There once was a little ghost who was a quilt. The ghost didn’t know why he was a quilt, as all the other ghosts were sheets. And he didn’t like being different. He was heavy and slow and couldn’t whirl and twirl like the other ghosts.
But one Halloween night, everything changes. He has a magical experience, an experience only he could have because he was a quilt! Maybe being different was alright, after all.
5 | Vampirina Ballerina by Anne Marie Pace
Vampira wants so badly to be a ballerina, but she will have to overcome a few obstacles to be one. Like finding a class that meets at night or figuring out how to perfect her form when she can’t even see herself in the mirror. Then there’s the turning into a bat during class, and worst of all, stage fright!
A fun story of hard work and perseverance.
6 | Ghost Afraid of the Dark by Sarah Conway
“One Halloween, and this tale is true, there once was a ghost, and his name was Boo.”
Meet Boo, a ghost who is afraid of the dark. As Halloween approaches, Boo visits his monster friends, and one by one, they teach him that darkness can be his friend.
Afterward, Boo decides to be brave and throw his friends a spooky party where he learns something about himself he never knew. Something he would never have learned if he hadn’t been brave!
7 | Leo a Ghost Story by Mac Barnett
Leo is a friendly ghost, but when a new family moves into his house, they misunderstand his attempts to be a good host! So Leo decides to leave and see the world.
Shortly after leaving, he meets Jane, a playful girl with a big imagination, and they become friends. Jane thinks Leo is just an imaginary friend. What will happen when she learns the truth?
8 | There’s a Ghost in this House by Oliver Jeffers
A young girl lives alone in a house she believes is haunted but has never seen a ghost. She’s not even sure what they look like! Step inside this book and help her look under the stairs, in the library, and under the bed.
This hide-and-seek book is very clever and sure to be a Halloween favorite!
9 | How to Make Friends with a Ghost by Rebecca Green
This book is a guide to making friends with ghosts (they can be hard to find, you know).
First, give them their favorite treats like earwax truffles and pickled boogers. Then read them ghost stories and tell them jokes – they love to giggle. Also, be sure no one mistakes your ghost for a tissue!
Follow these steps (plus a few more), and you’ll find a ghost to grow old with you.
10 | Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson
A friendly witch and her trusty cat set out on an adventure and make new friends as they help her find her hat, bow, and wand. Helpful animals find the missing items, and all they ask is for a ride on the broom.
But is there room for so many friends on the broom? And when a hungry dragon appears, will they be able to save the witch?
A classic Halloween tale about friendship is now a short animated film.
11 | Gilbert the Ghost by Buido Van Genechten
Gilbert goes to ghost school like all the other ghosts, but he’s different from the other ghosts: he doesn’t like to screech in a scary way, doesn’t want to haunt, and is always polite.
This gets Gilbert in trouble, and he is sent to the Abandoned Tower, where even ghosts are scared to go. But instead of changing his ways, Gilbert finds a friend and learns to be true to himself.
12 | The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams
Once upon a time, there was a little old lady who was not afraid of anything! But one afternoon, while walking in the woods, the little old lady heard . . . clomp clomp…wiggle wiggle…shake shake…boo boo. The little old lady who was not afraid of anything had the scare of her life!
13 | Pig the Monster by Aaron Blabey
Pig was a pug and I’m sorry to say, on Halloween night he’d get carried away…
In this newest addition to the Pig the Pug series, Pig is on a monstrous rampage for TREATS! Don’t even think about being stingy with the goodies because this greedy Pig has some terrible tricks up his sleeve.
Once home, he ravages through his candy until he realizes…pugs can’t eat chocolate!
14 | Moldilocks and the Three Scares by Lynn Marie
Papa Scare (a monster), Mama Scare (a mummy), and Baby Scare (a vampire) live in a haunted house where they eat finger sandwiches and alpha-bat soup. One night, they go out to walk their dog while they let their soup cool.
While they’re away, a little zombie named Moldilocks sleepwalks into their haunted house, looking for food, a chair, and a bed just right.
A spooky twist on the classic tale.
15 | Pick a Pumpkin by Patricia Toht
Follow along as a family picks out the perfect pumpkin at the patch, stopping for cider and toffee apples along the way. They cart it home, scoop out the insides, carve a face, and finally light a candle inside to make a one-of-a-kind jack-o-lantern.
With rhythmic read-aloud text, this book is the perfect read before your trip to the pumpkin patch!
16 | The Little Ghost Who Lost Her Boo by Elaine Bickell
Little ghost went out in the middle of the night and flew up to someone to give them a fright.
She opened her mouth–but her BOO wasn’t there! All that came out was a rush of cold air.
Little ghost has lost her scary BOO, so she goes on a nighttime hunt to find it. She asks all her friends, but it’s nowhere to be found! Will she ever find her lost BOO?
17 | Sir Simon: Super Scarer by Cale Atkinson
Meet Sir Simon, a professional ghost who just got his first house to haunt! Things don’t go as planned when it turns out this house comes with a KID. Simon is exasperated, for this kid is NOT afraid of ghosts and instead very interested in his haunting work.
But then, Sir Simon realizes he can trick Chester into doing his job. A hilarious book about friendship (and ghosts).
18 | The Nightmare Before Christmas by Tim Burton
Jack Skellington, a resident of Halloweenland, is bored with doing the same thing every year for Halloween. One day Jack stumbles into a place called Christmas Town. He’s so taken with it that he comes up with a plan to kidnap Santa so he and his town can put on Christmas themselves.
What could possibly go wrong?
19 | The Good, the Bad, and the Spooky by Jory John and Pete Oswald
Bad Seed is in a bad mood. Halloween is his favorite holiday, but what’s he to do when he can’t find a costume for the big night? Trick everyone into thinking Halloween has been postponed, of course!
Then he gets a visit from a pumpkin seed, who teaches him that Halloween is about more than the costumes. Will the pumpkin seed get through to Bad Seed before it’s too late? Will he figure out his costume after all?
20 | Boo Stew by Donna L. Washington
Curly Locks is a young girl who loves to cook, but everyone in town steers clear of her peculiar dishes, like cat hair cupcakes and toad eye toffees. So it’s a mystery when one of her dishes goes missing from her windowsill.
The following day, chaos breaks out as the Scares run wild and terrorize the town at mealtime. But Curly Locks isn’t frightened, and she has an inkling her unsavory cooking can help corral those Scares for good.
This is a delightful book with fantastic illustrations to be enjoyed at Halloween and all year round!
21 | Creepy Carrots! by Aaron Reynolds
Jasper Rabbit loves carrots, especially the ones from Crackenhopper Field. He stopped by the field to pick a morning snack, again on the way to Little League, and then on his way home at night. Until the carrots start following him, or are they?
A hilarious little ghost story that shows it’s all fun and games…until you get too greedy. After finishing this one, check out the other books in the series.
22 | Ten Timid Ghosts by Jennifer O’Connell
Ten timid ghosts in a haunted house. A witch moved in and wanted them out.
One saw a skeleton and let out a whine. He flew to the woods and then there were nine.
Ten timid ghosts in a haunted house have a problem – a mean witch has moved in and plans to scare them out. Count down from ten as each ghost flees the witch’s costumes and props. Then the ghosts gather in the woods and plot to get their house back. Will they be able to frighten the witch away?
23 | The Hallo-Weiner by Dan Pilkey
Oscar is half-a-dog tall and one-and-a-half-dogs long, and all the other dogs tease him. As Halloween approaches, Oscar plans a scary costume. But when he learns his mom has worked hard to create a hotdog bun costume complete with mustard, he wears it to please her. And all his friends laugh at him!
On Halloween night, Oscar’s friends jump into the pond to escape a hissing monster (that ended up just being a couple of cats). In the end, the costume helps Oscar to save the day by acting as a life raft to get his friends back to shore!
24 | At the Old Haunted House by Helen Ketterman
At the old haunted house…in a room with no sun…lived a warty green witch…and her wee witchy one…
There are all kinds of creatures in this old haunted house: goblins, vampires, bats, black cats, and more. Count along as the creatures prepare for the Halloween Fright.
25 | Mother Ghost by Rachel Kolar
Boys and girls, come trick-or-treat;
The moon is bright, the candy’s sweet.
Leave the houses and leave the light
And join the goblin-folk in the night.
From “Mary, Mary Tall and Scary” to “Mary Had a Little Ghost,” this book is a collection of classic nursery rhymes with a Halloween spin!
26 | Hardly Haunted by Jessie Sima
The house on the hill has a problem. She’s haunted, and no one will want to move in! So she tries to be as still as possible and on her very best behavior.
But maybe she likes herself as she is, haunted and all. And perhaps she can find a family that will appreciate her just as she is!
27 | The Cyclops Witch and the Heebie-Jeebies by Kyle Sullivan and Derek Sullivan
Not much could frighten the Cyclops Witch. Not much at all, except…children! And so, when children show up at her door, she plans to scare them away with the help of a medley of monsters.
This book is a tale of fear, prejudice, and misunderstanding fun for Halloween and all year round.
28 | How to Catch a Witch by Alice Walstead
It’s Halloween night, and something doesn’t seem quite right – ghosts, ghouls, and goblins everywhere, more than there should be! A group of trick-or-treaters discover a witch on a broom has opened a magical portal to let spooky creatures all over the neighborhood.
In the newest addition to the How to Catch series, follow along as a group of trick-or-treaters set traps to close the portal and save Halloween night!
29 | Big Pumpkin by Erika Silverman
A witch plants a seed and grows the biggest pumpkin ever. On Halloween, she wants to make a pumpkin pie, but the pumpkin is so big she can’t get it off the vine.
The pumpkin is so big the ghost can’t move it, either. Nor the vampire, nor the mummy. Until a bat comes along – the bat may be tiny but has a plan to save the day!
30 | Bonaparte Falls Apart by Margery Cuyler
Bonaparte, the skeleton, is having a tough time. He is supposed to start school but can’t do the everyday things his friends can without falling apart. When he plays catch, his throwing arm flies away with the ball, and his bone falls to the ground when the doctor checks his reflexes.
Thankfully, Bonapart’s friends have a few ideas to keep him together. Will any of them work in time for school to begin?
31 | A World Full of Spooky Stories by Angela McAllister
This beautiful book features 50 spooky (and not-so-spooky) tales from around the world. Some may be familiar, like Hansel and Gretel, and others are lesser-known, and all have been retold to be suitable for children.
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Little boo is one of our super faves!