The Best Halloween Picture Books

By Casey Lyall | Illustrated by Vera Brosgol

This is our favorite of 2022! A witch is filming a cooking show and she wants to add frogs to the recipe, a witch's favorite treat. The frogs, however, have something else in mind. Delightfully funny and the illustrations are perfection.

Written and Illustrated by John Loren

This might be my personal favorite book on this list! Frankenstein is trying to get ready to go trick-or-treating with his friends, but his well meaning parents won't leave him alone. It's so cute and funny and the illustrations couldn't be more charming.

This is a MUST READ!

By Riel Nason | Illustrated by Byron Eggenschwiler

This one's tied for my favorite Halloween Book! Most ghosts are sheets, but this sweet little ghost is a quilt. Because quilts are heavier than sheets, he has a harder time getting around, plus all the other sheet ghosts laugh at him. This story couldn't be more adorable and it has the best ending!

Written and Illustrated by Oliver Jeffers

We own every book Oliver Jeffers has ever created and they are all wonderful. But, if I had to pick a favorite, this would be it.

By Ana Siqueira | Illustrated by Irena Freitas

This is a fun bilingual picture book for Halloween! When a new babysitter arrives the night before Halloween, one little girl is convinced that she's a bruja. Luckily the little girl has a lot of tricks up her sleeve to avoid any bruja mischief. Very funny!

Written and Illustrated by Lucy Ruth Cummins

This is a not-spooky-at-all Halloween book, but it sure is fun. The Dracula family takes a trip to the zoo, but they don't notice when their baby trades places with a small penguin. Delightful!

By Ann Whitford Paul | Illustrated by David Walker

This is a sweet and simple rhyming book about what the animals would do on Halloween. Adorable!

By Mary Howitt | Illustrated by Tony DiTerlizzi

The text is Mary Howitt's famously spooky 1829 poem and Tony DiTerlizzi's dark and creepy illustrations really bring it to life. This one even won a Newbery Honor Award. It's a perfect Halloween read!

Written and Illustrated by Jessie Sima

House really wants to be a home but no one ever moves in. She's worried, in fact, that she might actually be haunted. Such a fun, not-too-spooky, read.

Written and Illustrated by Gris Grimly

A favorite preschool rhyme - Ten little pumpkins sitting in a line - paired with really wonderful spooky illustrations.

By Samantha Berger | Illustrated by Dan Santat

My kids think this one is so funny. Halloween is Crankenstein's favorite day of the year, but this year it's going all wrong. Is there a way to save Halloween or will Crankenstein just get crankier?

By Susan Montanari | Illustrated by Teresa Martinez

This book opens at a Christmas tree farm. All the young saplings dream of becoming Christmas trees, but there's one grumpy tree that is so grouchy about becoming a Christmas tree that all of his pine needles eventually fall off. He gets grumpier and grumpier until he meets some kids who appreciate him for who he is. It's such a fun book!

Written and Illustrated by Lucy Ruth Cummins

Stumpkin is a mighty fine pumpkin – round, orange, and as big as a basketball – but he doesn’t have a stem. While all the other pumpkins at the corner market are being purchased and taken home, Stumpkin remains. Will someone want a pumpkin without a stem?

The illustrations in this one are just gorgeous!

By Marjorie Dennis Murray | Illustrated by Brandon Dorman

A reader recommended this one in the comments last year, so we picked it up and were delighted by it. It's a spooky Halloween party with every creepy creature you can imagine. The rhyming text makes it a really fun read aloud and the illustrations are phenomenal.

By Rick Walton | Illustrated by Nathan Hale

I LOVE this book. I’ve read the Madeline book so many times over the years to my three girls that I can recite nearly the whole book by heart. But instead of  an old house in Paris all covered in vines, we have a spooky old castle all covered with spines. And while I adore those twelve little girls in two straight lines, the twelve ugly monsters in two crooked lines crack me up.

Really, if you’ve ever read the Madeline books, you MUST read this Halloween version.

Written and Illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg

This is an old-school Halloween MUST READ. Even though it was published in 1992, I didn’t read this book until a friend gifted it to us a couple years ago. It became an instant favorite!

Beautifully illustrated with rich text, this book tells the story of a witch’s broom that one day loses its power mid flight. The witch on the broom plunges into an old widow’s garden and when the widow treats her kindly, the witch gifts her the broom.

The fallen broom has just enough power to be helpful around the house but when the neighbors find out about the magical broom, there’s trouble ahead.

By Denise Doyen | Illustrated by Eliza Wheeler

All the kids in this picturesque town know that pomegranates are the best fruit but since the pomegranate tree is guarded by a witch, they have to wage an all out war to get a taste. I love the surprising ending of this one and Eliza Wheelers illustrations are phenomenal.

Written and Illustrated by Kelly Leigh Miller

What happens when a vampire loses his vampire fangs? Is he even a vampire anymore? Don't worry though, this little Dracula is going to figure something out, even if it involves taping a fang back in. Very cute!

By Lynne Marie | Illustrated by David Rodriguez Lorenzo

You can't have a Halloween Picture Book list without some zombies, right? This is an excellent retelling of the Goldilocks story, but with a fantastic surprise ending.

By Patricia Toht | Illustrated by Jarvis

Picking a pumpkin (or in our case, 4 pumpkins) is one of our favorite Halloween traditions. This Halloween Picture Book captures all the fun and magic of picking a pumpkin and turning it into a jack-o-lantern. Every page is a delight!

By Lynne Fulton | Illustrated by Felicita Sala

This is the wonderful story of how Mary Shelley created Frankenstein. Did you know she was only 20 years old when she came up with her famous monster? This is a beautifully illustrated picture book biography and Halloween is the perfect time of year to read it.

Written and Illustrated by Michael Rex

This another hilarious parody that I really never get tired of. I think most parents have Goodnight Moon memorized, right? But there’s no great green room in this version. Instead, we have a cold gray tomb. And where there was originally a quiet old lady whispering hush, we now have a hairy old werewolf hollering “Boo.”

This one is just so funny. I love it!

By Charlotte Zolotow | Illustrated by Marta Miguens

Tomas recently moved to a new neighborhood and he's having a hard time making new friends. What if they don't like him? But on Halloween, in his tiger costume, he finally feels brave enough to meet the kids in the neighborhood. It's a great story.

By Adam Rex | Illustrated by Steven Malk

My 10 and 12 year old LOVE this book. It’s a collection of 19 hilarious stories/poems in a variety of styles. The big idea here is that it isn’t always easy being a monster. Imagine being the Invisible Man and trying to get a haircut. Or a hungry Frankenstein with an empty pantry. Or, my personal favorite, the Phantom of the Opera with a very annoying song stuck in your head.

It’s a tough life, but you and your kids will think it’s laugh out loud funny.

By Linda Williams | Illustrated by Megan Lloyd

This is a long time favorite at our house. It’s really an essential book for your Halloween library.

This little old lady is not afraid of anything, but there are some spooky shoes, hats, gloves, etc., that are really going to test her bravery.

Written and Illustrated by Kazuno Kohara

Both the story and pictures in this one are so charming. A sweet, clever little girl moves has a haunted house. Luckily, she knows just what to do with all those ghosts. Hint: there’s a washing machine involved!

Written and Illustrated by Jennifer O'Connell

I love a good rhyming book and this one is stellar. Ten timid ghosts have a little problem. A witch has moved in and wants them out. One by one she tricks them out of the house. However, one of those little ghosts isn’t as timid as it seems and the witch may not be able to get rid of all those ghosts after all.

Written and Illustrated by Rebecca Green

How do you make friends with a ghost? Well, for one thing, you need to make sure no one mistakes your ghost for whipped cream or a marshmallow when you aren’t looking. This is a sweet, ghostly book about friendship. I love the illustrations in this one!

By Mac Barnett | Illustrated by Christian Robinson

There are some authors that you know you can count on and Mac Barnett is one of them. This is the sweetest story about a friendly ghost who likes to draw and make tasty snacks. Really, he’s a ghost you’d like to be friends with.

By Aaron Reynolds | Illustrated by Peter Brown

This isn’t exactly a Halloween book, but it’s just the right amount of spooky so we save it for this time of year. Jasper, a rabbit, keeps seeing creepy carrots lurking everywhere. His parents keep assuring him that there’s nothing to be afraid of, but Jasper has eaten a lot of carrots and he’s pretty convinced that they are finally getting their revenge.

By Aaron Reynolds | Illustrated by Peter Brown

Cue all the giggles! Jasper, that same rabbit that once got rid of creepy carrots, is now being haunted by a pair of creepy glowing underwear. And this one has an ending you really don't anticipate. It's on repeat at our house right now!

By Aaron Reynolds | Illustrated by Peter Brown

Jasper is back! And this time it's a crayon that wants to help him get good grades. Sounds fantastic, but it gets creepy.

If you loved the first two, you'll love this one as well. Another phenomenal book from the Reynolds and Brown duo!

Written and Illustrated by Cale Atkinson

Sir Simon is a professional ghost, fully trained, and he’s just been transferred to his first house. The house belongs to an old lady and Sir Simon thinks it’s going to be an easy haunting job. But when Sir Simon finds out there’s also a kid in the house, his easy haunting job gets a little harder. This book is one of my kids' very favorite Halloween Picture Books.

Written and Illustrated by Patrick McDonnell

I love everything Patrick McDonnell creates! After arguing over who is the biggest and baddest monster, three little monsters decide to join forces and create a MONSTER monster. They feel pretty successful until they meet an even bigger Frankenstein.

This is a heartwarming book with a great message. It's also not scary at all, for those looking for gentle Halloween books.

By Blair Thornburgh | Illustrated by Scott Campbell

I love this clever non-fiction celebration of SKULLS. Turns out, skulls are actually pretty darn useful!

Written and Illustrated by Stephen Savage

This is a fantastic counting book with really striking illustrations. Very clever!

Written and Illustrated by Erin Barker

This is another clever counting book and it has the most gorgeous illustrations. Count all of Mr. Pumpkin's spooky tea party guests.

By Lane Fredrickson | Illustrated by Michael Robertson

Miss Winifred just wants a good night sleep, but all the monsters in the house won't let her be. She's fed up and ready to show everyone the very best way to get rid of monsters. It's a darling book.

Written and Illustrated by Nicola Killen

Ollie and her cat, Pumpkin, are taking an autumn walk when they find a lost little kitten in a pile of leaves. But the poor little kitten is in good hands and Ollie is determined to find its owner. Very sweet illustrations.

Written and Illustrated by Arthur Geisert

My kids love poring over the detailed illustrations in this one. It's based on a real life town in Idaho and the author imagines what would happen if the town was taken over by pumpkins.

By Julia Donaldson | Illustrated by Axel Scheffler

This another one that could be read anytime, but since there is a witch in the story, we save it for October. And, this one is WONDERFUL. It’s a clever rhyme with a twist at the end that you really don’t see coming.

There’s a witch with a broom and she keeps picking up riders . . . until there’s no more room on the broom that is.

P.S. There’s a cute animated version of this book on Netflix. It follows the text of the book exactly.

Written and Illustrated by Lynne Berry

A Witch is trying to get ready for a party but her contrary cat refuses to help. The illustrations in this one are fantastic.

Written and Illustrated by Harriet Muncaster

This adorable little girl believes her mother is actually a good witch. Luckily, she also believes she's a cat and every good witch needs a good cat. The mixed media illustrations in this one are phenomenal!

Written and Illustrated by Dav Pilkey

This is an oldie but a goodie. All of the other dogs tease Oscar because he’s a weiner dog. To make things even worse, his mom wants him to wear a hot dog costume for Halloween! But while it’s not the scary costume he wanted, Oscar turns out to be a Halloween Hero.

By Katharine Holabird | Illustrated by Helen Craig

This one is pure nostalgia for me. The story is fine, but the illustrations are my very favorite. They are so detailed, so charming. If I could make Halloween look just like this gorgeous book, I’d die a happy person. Really, go check out the illustrations.

Written and Illustrated by Tasha Tudor

With Tasha Tudor’s gorgeous illustrations, little Sylvie Anne turns the biggest pumpkin into her very own Pumpkin Moonshine (Jack’o’Lantern).

This one is so sweet and old fashioned. It’s been a long time favorite at our house.

Written and Illustrated by Bob Shea

Despite its title, this book isn’t very scary at all. If you’re looking for a laugh out loud funny, silly Halloween Picture Book, this is the one! Narrated by a melodramatic ghost who is scared of bunnies, this one makes my kids giggle every time.