Halloween Picture Books
Get ready to cozy up with some seasonal reads that will be fun for the whole family!
October is my favorite month, and not just because my birthday is in October. October is the time that the leaves are finally changing colors in noticeable ways, it's the perfect weather to wear sweaters every day, and there is a magic in the area that makes every day feel full of the promise of adventure.
As a child, we had a basket full of Halloween themed picture books, and it seemed every year my mother would add new ones after a trip to Barnes and Noble. When we would decorate for Halloween this is the first thing I would pull out of the plastic bins we drudged up from the basement and as soon as we finished decorating, I was diving headfirst into the books. Today I wanted to share some of my favorites that I have begun to gather for my collection (yes, I have a growing collection of my favorite picture books). I have included below my top five favorite Halloween pictures books from my early years. I hope as you join me on this trip down memory lane that you might find a book or two that helps you feel the magic of Halloween like you did when you were younger too.
Book 1: Bubble Trouble Ghost Written by Janet Craig, Illustrated by Patrick Girouard
I choose to start with this book because it is my all-time favorite Halloween picture book. It is also one of the first books I ever learned to read. This book is a First-Start Reader book, meaning it is an easy reader book meant to help children learn how to read. The author utilizes simple words and presents them in a loose repeating pattern to help new readers with word recognition.
Gus the Ghost and his friends are back from trick-or-treating, and Gus has received some gum in his bag. Join Gus and his friends to find out if this gum is a treat or a trick.
One of the things I love about this book is that it's written for a younger audience as a way to introduce young children to reading and get them excited about books. The words used are common everyday words children will hear often, and there is a loose rhyme scheme used to help with word recognition. The artwork is also fun and bright. The monster children and their black cat friend are fun companions as we see Gus get into bubble trouble. Lastly, this book illustrates actions and consequences in a fun way that is also easy for younger children to be able to understand what is happening.
Now where this is my favorite book, I do recognize that I may be a little biased. But this is a well-done picture book that I think is perfect for the Halloween season.
Book 2: The Nightmare Before Halloween, Written by Natasha Wing, Illustrated by Cynthia Fisher
This book has a fun little twist on a classic tale we all grew up with that give me some Nightmare Before Christmas vibes for sure! Wing does an amazing job of taking the story we all know, The Night Before Christmas, and presenting it in a fun Halloween way that is sure to become a classic for anyone who reads it.
Join your friendly neighborhood monsters are they prepare their house for a Halloween party! Complete with all the classic characters we know and love like Count Dracula and Frankenstein's Bride.
This lighthearted story will take you right back to your childhood memories of Halloween. Wing finds an amazing way to stick to the rhyming scheme and theming of the original tale, which lends to the easy readability for younger reads and is still unique enough to keep the attention of older children as well. The illustrations by Fisher are perfect, the monsters and ghouls have bright smiling faces that will make young readers want to join in the Halloween party by the end.
Book 3: The Halloween Play Written and Illustrated by Felicia Bond
For anyone familiar with the classic If You Give a Mouse a Cookie story, you will recognize the familiar artwork in this Halloween-themed story by Bond. However, this is not like her other stories where animals are causing mayhem because you give them a treat.
Rodger the mouse and his other mouse classmates are putting on a Halloween play! Join Rodger and his classmates as they prepare for the event and find out what every important role Rodge has in this play.
This is a wonderfully unique story that takes me back to my elementary school days of the fun performances the different classes would put on for their parents and neighbors. This is written in the same easy style s Bond's other stories, making it a quick read while still being engaging. This is a perfect story for young elementary readers as well and the artwork is minimal while still being interesting.
Book 4: The Vanishing Pumpkin Written by Tony Johnston, Pictures by Tomie dePaola.
This is another unique Halloween story, and this one is perfect for older children (around five and up). This well written and well-illustrated story that has the feeling of being a little more mature than the other books on this list and that is part of the reason I included it. I wanted to show that Halloween pictures books don't have to just be for little kids, they can be for older children as well.
Follow the 700 year-old-woman and the 800 year-old-man as they search for who snitched their pumpkin on Halloween day. Watch the 800 year-old-man do some very impressive tricks to try and find his pumpkin as well so he can have his Halloween Pumpkin pie.
The writing in this book is well done. It has a loose rhyming scheme that helps with the flow of the story, and the words and phrases are used in repeating ways, making it a great book to help with word recognition. The repeating actions taken by the characters is also something that I find to be very helpful in this book by helping engage and excite young readers to see what trick the 800 year-old-man will do next. There are a few unusual words that children might not know, such as "rapscallion" and "varmint", but other than that, common words and phrases are used. I also love the artwork in this story. The artwork also gives this book a more mature feel because it is done in a more realistic style than in the cartoon style of the other books on this list, and I feel this style actually gives the book stronger spooky vibes than the other ones on this list.
Book 5: There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bat! Written by Lucille Colandro, Illustrated by Jared Lee
Another fun reimagination of a classic story that most young children will know. These reimagined stories are great for younger children, the air of familiarity paired with something slightly new helps to hold the attention of a child, and this book is one that does it beautifully.
Follow the Old Lady as she swallows a host of spooky animals and creatures, and see if you can solve the age-old question "Why did she swallow a Bat?"
This fun classic with a twist is perfect for Halloween. Colandro shows the Old Woman swallowing bigger things each time, and you will want to keep turning the pages to see what she's going to swallow next! The familiar writing pattern as well as the rhyming scheme make this a great book for young readers as well. But the real treat in this story is the illustrations. As the poor creatures are swallowed they are given a lot of personality in their expressions which, in my opinion, is the real highlight of the book. They seem surprised at being swallowed to start, and then you can see the chaos that ensues as they are trapped in what becomes increasingly close quarters.
Halloween this year for some of us is going to look very different from other years in the past. To celebrate this year, why not go on the hunt to see if you can find some of these books at your local library, and then enjoy your candy as you have all sorts of fun Halloween adventures from the comfort of your own home!
