21 Halloween Children’s Books to Enjoy This Spooky Season

Sing along with this reimagined nursery rhyme. In this board book, a little jack-o-lantern rolls away from home and sees all sorts of Halloween things. Luckily, a kind witch helps the itsy bitsy pumpkin get back home in the end.

Next, how about another nursery rhyme-inspired board book? This one is a twist on “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” but features an interactive bat puppet. Toddlers will enjoy this interactive book. Follow this cute bat all over town for a spooky good time! You or your child can wiggle the finger puppet bat and work on those fine motor skills while singing along to the familiar tune.

This one is more fall-inspired than Halloween, perhaps, but we’ve got to get pumpkins to turn into jack-o-lanterns! Who better to go with than one of children’s literature’s most popular pups. Biscuit sees pumpkins of all sizes and gets into a little mischief in this cute board book.

Speaking of popular kids’ book characters, our favorite llama has gotten in on the Halloween action. This rhyming tale features llama’s quest for the perfect costume and all the fun of trick-or-treating with his mama and friends. This board book version is an ideal introduction to the llama-verse for younger children.

Here’s another interactive read for your toddlers and preschoolers. The story follows a monster on its trick-or-treating adventure. The poor monster doesn’t want to go to the spooky house because it’s full of…monsters? Kids will get a kick out of his pleas not to ring the doorbell and all the fun waiting behind the door.

Poor Winifred. Every night her room is invaded by monsters and she just can’t seem to get rid of them. She tries everything in her how-to-get-rid-of-monsters book, but they keep coming back. Finally, desperate from sleepiness, Winifred kisses the nearest monster. It does the trick! You and your kiddos will crack up at the efforts of this brave, innovative little girl.

Okay, so this isn’t exactly a Halloween book either. However, if you want a great message, it’s a perfect choice. Amara loves bats, but learns that due to the destruction of their habitats, bats are having to move on from her town. Amara and her friends take action in this story of environmental activism.

If you like reimagined versions of familiar stories, this is another book you’ll enjoy. In this twist on the story of the ugly duckling, we follow an unwanted pumpkin as he tries to find his place in the world. It takes all the way until Thanksgiving, but he’s surprised to learn who he really is!

This fun bilingual book centers on a Halloween party full of monsters. Zombies, skeletons, and more dance across the pages having a good time. There’s even a glossary in the back with pronunciations and definitions for readers who don’t speak Spanish.

This early reader is EXACTLY what you expect. It’s full of farts and funny poems that will keep kids amused indefinitely. Gus’s friends try and fail to scare kids in a haunted house. Fortunately, Gus has a special scaring technique. Yep. Farting! This absolutely silly story is perfect for engaging readers of all interests.

Halloween is meant to be fun, but for a lot of kids it can be scary. They’ll identify with this story of a child learning to face his fears. At first, Carlito is afraid to trick-or-treat, but with the help of his family and neighbors he learns a lesson about standing up to what scares us.

Victoria Franken is a slime scientist with a track record of creating some really cool slimes. However, this time she has outdone herself. To her surprise, her newest creation comes to life! Enjoy the twists and turns of this reimagined classic, as well as some slime recipes and other science tips.

As the title suggests, this book introduces Gustavo, a ghost who is good at a lot of things, but not at making friends. Gustavo is so shy, he worries that even on the Day of the Dead he won’t be noticed. This beautifully illustrated picture book will have you rooting for a ghost harder than you ever have — even if you grew up with Casper.

Do you ever wonder what life is like for the Dracula family? Oh, you weren’t aware that Dracula had a family? Neither was I, but this cute book has taught me differently. Hilariously, the family spends a day at the zoo and encounters a classic switcheroo when they visit the penguin house.

Twelve-year-old vampire Scaredy Bat is a detective. Well, she loves solving mysteries. Unfortunately, she’s also scared of pretty much everything. Scaredy Bat is forced to face her fears when she attends a royal vampire wedding and all of the guests are mysteriously frozen solid. Can Scaredy Bat muster up the courage to save the day?

In the spooky town of Kersville, mischievous ghosts and oblivious humans mostly coexist. However, sometimes ghosts cross the line. Whenever that happens, the victim calls Desmond Cole Ghost Patrol. Desmond and his best friend Andres fearlessly take on the scariest jobs. At least, Desmond does. Andres, on the other hand, is afraid of everything. This illustrated early chapter book is the first in a series.

In a tale inspired by Caribbean folklore, we meet Corinne La Mer. Corinne doesn’t believe in the ghost stories adults tell kids on her island, until she meets the jumbies herself. When her home is suddenly in danger of being overrun by jumbies, it’s up to Corinne to find her magic and save the day. This is the first in a series.

From acclaimed author Neil Gaiman comes this spooky tale of a boy raised by ghosts in a graveyard. Nobody Owens has a strange life, but it’d be less strange if it wasn’t so full of adventures and danger. Being raised by ghosts isn’t bad, but living near the gateway to a city of ghouls is. Even worse, the killer who took away Nobody’s family will be waiting for him if he ever leaves the graveyard. This one is perfect for older kids who can handle a bit of real scariness.