13 Picture books for Halloween

Ali Middleton

My fellow bookworm friend, Ali Middleton, is a children’s book guru, a homeschooler, and one of those rare, wholehearted moms whose amazingness never leaves you feeling worse about yourself—only inspired to be better and live more mindfully. She’s also a gifted photographer with a magic touch for capturing those one-of-a-kind moments you never want to forget. Ali ALWAYS has the best book recommendations, so I was smiling ear-to-ear when she agreed to put together a list of her favorite Halloween picture books for you guys. Enjoy!

Boo! Haiku by Deanna Caswell

A sweetly spooky collection of Haiku poems that gives the kids a chance to guess which Halloween character is being described. Such a fun, unique Halloween book.

Little Goblins Ten by Pamela Jane

We’ve checked out loads of Halloween counting books over the last few years and none come close to this one. The detailed illustrations portray otherwise scary monsters in a slightly playful light and kids love repeating the sounds of each monster preparing to go trick-or-treating.

Skeleton Hiccups by Margery Cuyler

Hiccups are the worst! And this funny story follows a skeleton’s day and all his efforts to get rid of his pesky hiccups. With the help from a friend and an unexpected cure, he finally gets them to go away.

Winnie the Witch by Valerie Thomas

Winnie loves black. Everything she owns is black and it starts to cause problems when she keeps tripping over Wilbur, her black cat. This silly story is a favorite at our house.

Too Many Pumpkins by Linda White

Rebecca Estelle is an old woman who has hated even the thought of pumpkins since she was a girl. Then one stray pumpkin falling from a pumpkin truck changed her mind.

Witches Four by Marc Brown

Four witches lose their hats and stumble upon four homeless cats. The old-school illustrations and playful words hooked us instantly on this favorite.

Popcorn by Frank Asch

Sam hosts a party when he shouldn’t and things get a little out of hand when he and his friends try and make some popcorn. My son belly laughs each time we read this silly book and that alone is worth adding it to our shelf.

Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson

Julia Donaldson is a rhyming wizard. We love reading her stories and being captivated by her clever use of words and imagination.

Pumpkin Trouble by Jan Thomas

I’m not sure my kids have ever laughed so hard during a book. They requested it again and again and again and again and I didn’t even mind because it’s short and sweet.

The Runaway Pumpkin by Kevin Lewis

Two brothers discover the most perfect Halloween pumpkin and in their excitement, set it loose bumping down the hill through the family farm. The Baxter’s make the best of the mayhem and turn it into a pleasantly perfect family meal.

Bats at the Library by Brian Lies

A window is left open at the library and bats young and old are thrilled to have a delightful evening at this special place. Not technically a Halloween book, but we keep it with the others because, bats.

The Monsters’ Monster by Patrick McDonnell

Three little monsters scheme to create the biggest, baddest monster ever. A fun twist on Frankenstein that teaches little monsters there is more to life than bashing, smashing, and crashing.

Hoodwinked by Arthur Howard

A little witch’s hunt for the creepiest pet possible turns out to be trickier than she thought.