13 Not-So-Spooky Halloween Picture Books For Children
Updated: Jan 15
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Costumes, spooky stories, tons of candy, and time with friends...there are so many things that make Halloween a fun time for all. Some children love the spookiness of the season, while others gravitate to less frightening aspects like candy corn and Reese's pumpkins. Although candy corn can be frightening to some people. LOL.
No matter what the little readers in your life love about Halloween, they're sure to enjoy one or several of these diverse picture books. All of these books make great read-alouds and the accompanying illustrations will get imaginations flowing too.
The perfect Halloween gift for your baby or toddler!
With My Baby Loves Halloween, celebrate all the lovely things that Baby discovers about Halloween:
Baby loves the crisp autumn air.
Baby loves candles in pumpkins that grin.
Baby loves candy...
Celebrate all the sweet things that Baby discovers about Halloween. This Own Voices board book, the perfect gift for a new baby, features rhythmic poetry from Jabari Asim and adorable art from Tara Nicole Whitaker.
Celebrate Halloween in a special way with this bright, joyful board book.
The day is almost here! It's only "one more good night" until Halloween. As a child goes to sleep, they can't wait for all the fun that comes with celebrating their favorite holiday with their loved ones. They know the next day will be filled with the best Halloween decorations, treats, and costumes! Experience familial traditions in this sweet holiday primer.
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Nothing frightens Winifred Schnitzel—but she DOES need her sleep, and the neighborhood monsters WON'T let her be! Every night they sneak in, growling and belching and making a ruckus. Winifred constructs clever traps, but nothing stops these crafty creatures. What's a girl to do? (Hint: Monsters HATE kisses!) The delightfully sweet ending will have every kid—and little monster—begging for an encore.
This winning debut picture book from Mexican artist Flavia Z. Drago about finding the courage to make friends is perfect for the spooky season -- or anytime.
Gustavo is good at doing all sorts of ghostly things: walking through walls, making objects fly, and glowing in the dark. And he loves almost nothing more than playing beautiful music on his violin. But Gustavo is shy, and some things are harder for him to do, like getting in a line to buy eye scream or making friends with other monsters. Whenever he tries getting close to them, he realizes they just can't see him. Now that the Day of the Dead is fast approaching, what can he do to make them notice him and to share with them something he loves? With fancifully detailed artwork and visual humor, debut picture-book creator Flavia Z. Drago's vivid illustrations tell a sweet and gently offbeat story of loneliness, bravery, and friendship that is sure to be a treat for little ghouls and goblins everywhere.
Award-winning storyteller Donna L. Washington has cooked up a delightfully spooky tale in this imaginative twist on the classic Goldilocks.
Curly Locks is a good-hearted girl, but she's an awful cook. All the townspeople of Toadsuck Swamp know to steer clear of her peculiar dishes--like batwing brownies and toad eye toffees. So it's quite a mystery when one of her dishes goes missing from her windowsill.
Next morning, chaos breaks out in town and word spreads how the Scares of Toadsuck Swamp are running wild and terrorizing the town at mealtime. They shriek Gitchey Boo, Gitchey Bon! Gitchey Goo, Gitchey Gone! and send folk running for their lives! But Curly Locks isn't frightened, and she has an inkling her unsavory cooking can help corral those Scares for good.
Exercising tremendous narrative skill, internationally known storyteller Donna L. Washington breathes a spirited new life into an old classic. Her clever, can-do protagonist and joyful language pair brilliantly with Jeffrey Ebbeler's fantasy-like illustrations. This enchanting read is a treat for any time of the year!
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New York Times bestselling author Tracey Baptiste and acclaimed illustrator Amber Ren take readers on a fun, creepy, storytime-ready romp through a forest filled with creatures from Caribbean folklore.
I'm looking for a jumbie, I'm going to find a scary one.