Halloween Books for Toddlers and Kids: 15 Picks by Age

The best Halloween books for toddlers are about pumpkins, costumes and friendly ghosts. Real suspense can wait until five or six. This list sorts 15 well-loved picture books by age, so you can pick the right level of spooky for your child.

Every author, illustrator and first-publication year below was checked against a publisher, author or library record. The age bands are our suggestion, based on each book's format and how much fright it carries.

Halloween books by age at a glance

Halloween books for toddlers (ages 1–3)

For this age, pick books with no villain and no chase. Costumes, pumpkins, counting and short rhymes are plenty of Halloween.

Spooky Pookie by Sandra Boynton (2015)

Pookie tries on costumes one by one and can't find the right one. There is nothing scary in it at all, just a small choice and a happy answer. It comes as a sturdy board book, which suits chewers and page-grabbers.

Little Blue Truck's Halloween by Alice Schertle, illustrated by Jill McElmurry (2016)

Little Blue Truck first appeared in 2008, and this is his Halloween book in the same series. If your toddler already knows the truck, it is an easy first holiday book. It is published as a board book.

Five Little Pumpkins, pictures by Dan Yaccarino (1998)

A short rhyme about five jack-o'-lanterns, with bold pictures by Dan Yaccarino. Toddlers can count the pumpkins on their fingers as you read.

Pumpkin Pumpkin by Jeanne Titherington (1986)

Jamie plants a pumpkin seed, watches it grow, carves it, and saves seeds to plant in the spring. It is a gardening story first and a jack-o'-lantern story second. Read it before you carve your own pumpkin.

Go Away, Big Green Monster! by Ed Emberley (1992)

Not strictly a Halloween book, but a smart one for October. Die-cut pages reveal a monster's face bit by bit, and the title tells your child what to say to him. It was made to help children feel in control of nighttime monster fears.

Halloween books for preschoolers (ages 3–5)

Preschoolers enjoy a witch, a ghost or a little mummy, as long as the story stays friendly. A mild "uh-oh" moment is fine if it ends warmly.

Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Axel Scheffler (2001)

A kind witch and her cat pick up three animal passengers on her broomstick, and then a hungry dragon turns up. The story is told in rhyme, with friendship winning the day. See the book on Julia Donaldson's website.

Where's My Mummy? by Carolyn Crimi, illustrated by John Manders (2008)

Little Baby Mummy goes looking for his mother at bedtime, past the other monsters getting ready for bed. Children who are sensitive at night may like it better in the afternoon.

Ghosts in the House! by Kazuno Kohara (2008)

A young witch is tired of her haunted house, so she catches the ghosts, washes them, and turns them into curtains and a tablecloth. The ghosts are more funny than frightening. The New York Times named it one of the Best Illustrated Children's Books of 2008.

Pumpkin Soup by Helen Cooper (1998)

A cat, a squirrel and a duck make pumpkin soup together until they argue over who does which job. It is about friendship, not fright. It won the Kate Greenaway Medal for 1998.

Click, Clack, Boo! by Doreen Cronin, illustrated by Betsy Lewin (2013)

Farmer Brown does not like Halloween, so he goes to bed in his footy pajamas. The barnyard animals have their own Halloween party anyway, with more tricks than treats.

Leonardo, the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems (2005)

Leonardo is a monster who can't scare anyone. When he finally frightens a nervous boy, he decides he would rather be a good friend. It is a gentle way to talk about how being scared feels.

Halloween books for early readers (ages 5–8)

From about five, many children enjoy being a little scared on purpose. These books have real suspense, but each one ends with a laugh or a kind turn.

The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams, illustrated by Megan Lloyd (1986)

On a walk through dark woods, a little old lady is followed by spooky objects, including a pumpkin head and a tall black hat, all trying to scare her. She stays brave, and the ending is kind. We place it at four and up because the woods-at-night chase is real tension for a toddler.

The Hallo-Wiener by Dav Pilkey (1995)

Oscar is a little dog the other dogs tease. On Halloween he wears a wiener costume and does something brave. It is silly, and it opens an easy talk about teasing.

Gustavo, the Shy Ghost by Flavia Z. Drago (2020)

Gustavo can walk through walls and glow in the dark, but he is too shy to be noticed. As the Day of the Dead comes near, he looks for a way to make friends. It suits children who know what shyness feels like.

Creepy Carrots! by Aaron Reynolds, illustrated by Peter Brown (2012)

Jasper Rabbit becomes sure the carrots from Crackenhopper Field are following him, and he sees them everywhere. It won a Caldecott Honor in 2013.

Why five and up? The joke depends on knowing that a carrot can't really chase a rabbit. A toddler can't make that call yet, so the creepy faces just feel creepy.

How to pick a Halloween book your child will enjoy

• Read the book yourself first. Two minutes alone with it tells you more than any age label.
• Match the fright to your child, not the age. Some three-year-olds love a witch. Some six-year-olds still don't.
• Read new spooky books in daylight. Save bedtime for books your child already knows and likes.
• Let your child stop. If they want to close the book, close it. Try again next year.
• Talk about pretend. Point out that the ghost is a drawing and the monster is a person in a costume.

Want more autumn reading beyond Halloween? See our list of fall books for kids, with leaves, apples and harvest picks.

If you want a Halloween story where your child is the hero, KidTeller turns your child's photo into the illustrated main character of a new story, written from a theme or your own idea, such as a first trick-or-treat. You can start a book in your browser.