Halloween was always one of my favorite holidays as a child. And now as a parent, that enthusiasm is just as strong watching the excitement from my two little ones.
My daughters love everything about it, from the fun costumes, the mound of candy they'll never be able to finish, and yes, the Halloween books for kids that make their way back to our bookshelves.
The weeks leading up to a holiday are some of the best story sessions we have in our household. It means we get to dust of some of the favorites that usually only come out one season each year (mixed with a few new additions, of course). Since holiday books are a favorite of many children's book authors, there are lots of great Halloween books for kids worth adding to your collection.
If you're looking for some new Halloween books for your child, take a peak at some of our favorites below!
Author: Julia Donaldson
Illustrator: Axel Scheffler
Recommended Age: 3 - 7 years old
A witch and her cat are out flying on her broom when she mistakenly loses her hat, bows and wand. Thankfully she encounters some animal friends who only want a ride on her broom in return for finding her missing items. But, when the witch encounters a hungry dragon, will her new friends be able to help her?
Room on the Broom is a favorite every October, and remains a fixture on Amazon's top selling children's books during the weeks leading up to Halloween. The mixture of comical illustrations and rhyming story will easily keep preschool and elementary children entertained.
Author: Alice Schertle
Illustrator: Jill McElmurry
Recommended Age: 0 - 3 years old
Alice Schertle's Little Blue Truck books have been incredibly popular series for younger children.
In this Halloween edition, Little Blue is picking up his friends for a costume party! The fun, rhyming pattern and "lift-the-flap" layout of the book make it a perfect selection for infants and toddlers.
Jill McElmurry's signature illustrations help make this a delightful Halloween book for kids.
Author: Dav Pilkey
Illustrator: Dav Pilkey
Recommended Age: 3 - 8 years old
If you want a Halloween story with some comedy and a lovable character, Dav Pilkey's Hallo-Wiener is your book.
Oscar is a dog of unusual shape and size. Because of this, all of the other dogs tease him. It certainly doesn't help that Oscar has to wear this silly hot dog costume his mother made either! But when all the other dogs are frightened by the scary monster near the graveyard, it's Oscar who comes to the rescue and saves the day.
Pilkey's fun illustrations and delightful story make this an easy choice for our best Halloween books for kids list.
Author: Margery Cuyler
Illustrator: Will Terry
Recommended Age: 3 - 7 years old
Bonaparte is a little skeleton who is getting ready for his first day of school. But he's really nervous because he keeps losing all of his bones! What will everyone at school think when he can't keep himself together?
Luckily for Bonaparte, he's got some great friends that step in to help him get ready for school.
Bonaparte Falls Apart fits the category of great Halloween books for kids, but is also excellent for any season thanks to its positive messages of friendship and being yourself.
Author: Doreen Cronin
Illustrator: Betsy Lewin
Recommended Age: 0 - 5 years old
Farmer Brown does not like Halloween. It's far too scary. But while he's hiding in his bedroom, the animals are having a party down at the barn! The night is soon filled with treats (and a few tricks) for Farmer Brown in this fun Halloween book.
We're big fans of Doreen Cronin and her Click, Clack series. Her books offer up fun characters, comedic story lines and signature illustrations from Betsy Lewin. When it comes to enjoyable Halloween books for kids, we definitely recommend giving Click, Clack, Boo a read.
Author: Anna Dewdney
Illustrator: Anna Dewdney
Recommended Age: 0 - 5 years old
It wouldn't be a list of favorite books without one of Anna Dewdney's popular Llama Llama stories. In this Halloween edition, Little Llama chooses a Halloween costume, picks out a Jack-O-Lantern and goes trick or treating!
Dewdney's short, rhyming text is great for keeping infants and toddlers engaged. The sturdy pages of this board book are also great for little hands! For fans of other Llama Llama books, we definitely recommend adding this one to the collection.
Author: Aaron Reynolds
Illustrator: Peter Brown
Recommended Age: 4 - 8 years old
Aaron Reynold's Creepy Carrots is a Caldecott winning picture book that's been a constant favorite at Halloween since its debut in 2017.
Jasper Rabbit is a huge fan of carrots. He eats them any chance he gets. But what happens when they start following him? This hilarious story combines a spooky Halloween twist with comedy and an important message of what happens when you're a little too greedy.
Also make sure to check out Aaron Reynold's other popular Halloween book Creepy Pair of Underwear!
Author: Caralyn Buehner
Illustrator: Mark Buehner
Recommended Age: 3 - 7 years old
Following the enormous success of Snowmen at Night, Caralyn Buehner has recently introduced a Halloween edition within her series!
If you've ever wondered what a snowman does on Halloween night, look no further than Snowmen at Halloween. When the kids go to bed after trick-or-treating, the snowmen kick off their Halloween festival! There are costumes, candy and tons of fun, along with a nice surprise left for the kids in the morning.
Snowmen at Halloween is an incredibly enjoyable read because of its rhyming story and Mark Buehner's standout illustrations.
Author: Sandra Boynton
Illustrator: Sandra Boynton
Recommended Age: 1 - 4 years old
Beloved children's book author Sandra Boynton brings us her signature illustrations and fun rhymes in this Halloween board book.
Little Pookie is trying hard to find the perfect Halloween costume. Yet, every costume he puts on just doesn't fit right...until the last one he tries. Infants and toddlers will love the fun conclusion to Pookie's Halloween costume search.
Spooky Pookie has consistently been a top seller on Amazon since its debut in 2017. We recommend checking this one out, along with Boynton's other Halloween board book, EEK! Halloween!
Author: Deborah Diesen
Illustrator: Dan Hanna
Recommended Age: 1 - 4 years old
Like some of the other books on our list, The Pout Pout Fish Halloween Faces is a holiday edition of a popular children's book series.
In this version, Deborah Diesen's popular title character is trying on different Halloween costumes! Young children will love seeing the bright illustrations, along with the googly eyes that interact with them on each page.
While not as full on story as other Pout Pout Fish books in the series, we recommend this edition for infants and toddlers thanks to its interactive features.
Author: Will Hubbell
Illustrator: Will Hubbell
Recommended Age: 4 - 8 years old
Pumpkin Jack has been a favorite and top seller since its debut in 2000.
The story introduces us to Tim who has just carved his jack-o-lantern, whom he's named "Jack". As with all jack-o-lanterns, eventually Jack begins to wither and Tim leaves it outside in their old garden. As the seasons change, Tim watches as Jack changes and eventually begins to sprout new pumpkins!
Will Hubbell's fun picture book provides preschool and elementary children with an entertaining story that is also educational. On our list of top Halloween books for kids, Pumpkin Jack stands out from the others because of its different spin on the Halloween season.
Author: Lauren Thompson
Illustrator: Buket Erdogan
Recommended Age: 2 - 4 years old
Mouse's First Halloween is an award-winning, classic Halloween book for kids.
As the title suggests, it's Mouse's first Halloween and he's not quite sure what to make of all of these sounds he's hearing. Falling leaves, swooping bats and sounds of children trick-or-treating fill the air. Although he may have been scared at first, Mouse learns how fun Halloween night can be!
For children who may not enjoy the "spooky" nature of Halloween, we recommend giving Mouse's First Halloween a look. Most importantly, it does a great job of showing that things that appear scary at first really are not, and rather can be fun instead! Fans of Lauren Thompson's other books in the Mouse's First series will certainly enjoy this holiday edition.
Author: Michael Rex
Illustrator: Michael Rex
Recommended Age: 2 - 6 years old
Michael Rex's Goodnight Goon is a Halloween bedtime story for kids that stems from the classic children's book, Goodnight Moon. This parody children's book is a unique choice for our list that will certainly appeal to those who are familiar with the original story.
As the little werewolf is settling down to go to sleep, the ghoulish Goon is determined to not let that happen. The fun, rhyming story is filled with the spooky characters and themes that make this a great bedtime read as we approach Halloween. The detailed, colorful artwork is reason enough to pick this one up and will easily grab the attention of toddlers, preschool and elementary age children.
For a lighthearted, entertaining, bedtime story this Halloween, we recommend Michael Rex's Goodnight Goon.
Author: Jennifer O'Connell
Illustrator: Jennifer O'Connell
Recommended Age: 3 - 6 years old
"10 timid ghosts in a haunted house. A witch moved in and wanted them out."
This spooky story by Jennifer O'Connell combines a Halloween theme and the fun of counting. A witch has moved into a haunted house and finds that ten ghosts already live there. As the witch plays tricks on each ghost to scare them away, readers will count down from the number of ten until only one ghost is left. But in the end, it's the witch who has the tables turned on her when the ghosts decide to play a trick of their own!
The books repeatable, rhyming pattern make this a great option for early readers!
Author: Victoria Kann
Illustrator: Victoria Kann
Recommended Age: 3 - 7 years old
The last book on our list comes from the popular book and tv series, Pinkalicious.
The lights are out in town and the mayor has unfortunately had to cancel Halloween. What will Pinkalicious do if she cant wear her Pinkagirl costume? Or go trick-or-treating? Pinklacious knows that if Halloween is going to be saved, it'll be up to her. Even though the lights don't come back on, Pinkalicious comes up with the clever idea to have a Halloween party in the park with everyone bringing their flashlights!
This entertaining story is sure to delight anyone who loves the other books in the Pinkalicious series. The book also comes with a page of stickers that kids can use to help decorate Pinkalicious' town!