Going Fright-Free: 31 Halloween Books for Little Pumpkins
by Dena McMurdie
Are you looking for Halloween books that won’t frighten the tiniest of trick-or-treaters? If so, I’ve got you covered! From board books to picture books, these reads for babies, toddlers, and pre-schoolers alike are a surefire way to get your little monsters into the Halloween spirit without giving them nightmares.
Jump to: Board Books ┃ Picture Books
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Babies & Toddlers
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Wonderful Halloween
Buy from:I love everything that Emily Winfield Martin publishes, and this charming Halloween board book is no exception. With her heartwarming illustrations and simple, rhyming text, Martin introduces tiny readers to the wonders of the autumn holiday. The soft colors and gentle story make it the perfect fall read for babies and toddlers.
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Little Pumpkin
Buy from:This delightful board book is the perfect introduction to autumn for the littlest readers. Follow along as Little Pumpkin and Big Pumpkin greet their nighttime friends and express the unique love between a parent and child.
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Grumpkin
Buy from:Grumpkin is a grouchy little pumpkin who detests Halloween and the fall season. He dreams of escaping the muddy pumpkin patch and keeping all the Halloween candy to himself instead of watching kids collect it. This adorable curmudgeon will have tiny readers asking for a reread!
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The Very Hungry Caterpillar’s Peekaboo Halloween
Buy from:Can you find The Very Hungry Caterpillar? Each page of this pumpkin-shaped board book features a vibrant, festive scene for babies and toddlers to explore. Look for The Very Hungry Caterpillar hiding in a pile of leaves, a candy collection, and among nocturnal animals.
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On Top of Linguine: An Eye-Popping Parody
Buy from:Little ones will love this monstrously fun parody of the classic song “On Top of Old Smokey.” One big “ACHOO!” from Frankenstein, and POP goes Skeleton’s eyeball! Follow along as he frantically chases his runaway eye all through town.
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Night Night, Spooky Friends
Buy from:After a busy night of trick-or-treating, Skeleton, Ghost, Pumpkin, and other creepy friends head home and crawl into bed. With flaps to lift and fun transformations to watch, this adorable Halloween book is the perfect not-so-scary read.
RELATED: Funny Children’s Books Starring Silly, Lovable Monsters
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Roald Dahl: Trick or Treat
Buy from:Celebrate Halloween with wild and wacky items from your favorite Roald Dahl books. Babies and toddlers will love lifting the flaps and finding what’s inside a pumpkin, a cauldron, and behind a haunted house’s door. From snozzcumbers to sweets, little ones will be delighted with what they find.
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Halloween Friends
Buy from:This book in the Brown Baby Parade series takes little Halloween lovers on a trick-or-treat adventure. Tiny readers will see a diverse cast of characters dressed up and going door to door in their neighborhood. It’s the perfect book to introduce this delightful tradition to your toddler!
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Where Do Diggers Trick-or-Treat?
Buy from:Go trick-or-treating with your favorite machinery! Babies and toddlers that love things that go will adore this seasonal installment of the Where Do… series. From monster trucks to tractors, follow along and get a sneak peek into the lives of vehicles when they’re not at work.
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This Is the Way We Trick or Treat
Buy from:My babies loved sing-along books, and this one is as cute as can be! Written to the beat of “Here We Go ‘Round the Mulberry Bush,” this adorable board book features rhyming text and colorful illustrations. Babies will love watching the characters pick out costumes and go trick-or-treating.
RELATED: Halloween Printables and Activities
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Pre-K
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Halloween Trampoline
Buy from:Every Halloween, the adorable monsters in this book pull out their trampoline so they can jump all night long. Young readers will love seeing their favorite monsters, including Dracula, Witch, and Werewolf, bouncing and playing tricks on each other. This energetic story will make a delightful addition to your Halloween book collection!
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Monsters Love Brownies
Buy from:If your child is afraid of the dark, or has a little anxiety around Halloween, then this picture book is just the thing! These monsters love eating brownies, and eat them by the pound. They also like to hide in closets and under beds. But a surprising plot twist shows kids that they have nothing to fear from these sweet-toothed creatures.
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Richard Scarry’s Lowly Worm Saves Halloween!
Buy from:When Farmer Alfalfa arrives at the market with no pumpkins in the back of his truck, everyone worries that Halloween will be ruined. Thankfully, Lowly Worm has a plan to get the festivities back on track. Little readers will love this adorable Halloween story featuring their favorite Busytown characters!
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Scritch! Scratch! An Itchy, Witchy Halloween Tale
Buy from:A group of kids must outsmart a witch with a seriously itchy spell! With silly-scary rhymes, eccentric illustrations, and a twist ending, this slightly suspenseful Halloween story has just the right amount of fright.
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Please Don't Scare the Ghost
Buy from:This sweet and silly picture book shows kids that they shouldn’t let their worries stop them from having fun. A little girl guides her ghost friend through Halloween night, explaining why there is nothing to fear from the vampires, mummies, and witches they meet. It’s an excellent choice for kids feeling hesitant about going trick-or-treating.
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The Haunted Playground
Buy from:After trick-or-treating ends, all the ghosts descend on a playground to have some fun. But when two human children wander in, the ghosts worry their Halloween festivities must come to an end. But the children refuse to be frightened away, and the ghosts soon invite them to join in the fun. This slightly spooky story from the bestselling author of Wonder is a seasonal read-aloud that kids will love!
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Creepy Sheepy
Buy from:Sleepy Sheepy wants to be a hairy, scary werewolf for Halloween. He finds the perfect costume and manages to buy the last one on the rack. The costume was so popular that Sleepy Sheepy finds himself prowling through a sea of identical werewolves on Halloween night. This sweet picture book puts a humorous spin on Halloween costumes and delivers a subtle message about individuality.
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Vampire Jam Sandwich
Buy from:When a sandwich gets bitten by a vampire, it sprouts a pair of fangs and develops a craving for jam. Now, the vampire sandwich roams around town, sinking its teeth into every jar of jam it can find. This hilarious picture book puts a creative, not-so-scary twist on spooky stories, encouraging children to find the fun in Halloween.
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Frankenkitty
Buy from:Get ready for a laugh-out-loud Halloween story your child will ask to read on repeat! In a dark castle in the woods, an inventor stitches a kitten together and brings it to life. When Frankenkitty gets blamed for strange happenings around the castle, the inventor’s daughter, Olive, finds a way to clear his name. Dramatic narration and vibrant illustrations make this book a fantastic read-aloud that will have kids in stitches (pun intended).
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Magic Flashlight: Ghost Hunt
Buy from:Can you find all the ghosts hidden within the pages of this interactive board book? Toddlers and preschoolers will love using the included UV flashlight to pore over each scene, looking for happy, smiling ghosts. From a haunted house to a pumpkin patch, children will find cheerful ghosts hiding on every page.
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Spoops: The Little Spirits of Halloween
Buy from:Tiny, whimsical spirits called Spoops slip through pumpkin patches, stirring up the season’s sweetest surprises. From mischievous leaf-whispering to candy-dust giggles, this charming tale treats little readers to what makes Halloween night so magical: imagination, self-expression, and a smidge of mischief. An adorable book destined to become a seasonal favorite.
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Give Me Back My Bones!
Buy from:This humorous picture book combines themes of pirates and poetry into a wildly entertaining story set on the ocean floor. A pirate skeleton wants to put himself back together and needs your help finding all his missing parts. From his skull to his tibia, the pirate collects his bones before the other sea creatures scatter them far and wide.
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Luna and the Witch Throw a Halloween Party
Buy from:When Luna teams up with Pheenie, the neighborhood witch, to plan the ultimate Halloween party, she promised witchcraft lessons in return. But Luna soon discovers that throwing a party with a witch is trickier — and more magical — than she imagined. Bubbly rhymes and vivid illustrations make this a delightful Halloween read-aloud.
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Spooky, Scary Skeletons
Buy from:Sing along to Andrew Gold’s viral TikTok song with this adorable picture book edition! Five little skeletons head out on Halloween night but take their shenanigans too far. Thankfully, they know just how to make it right.
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The Little Witch Who Lost Her Broom
Buy from:Bouncy, rhyming prose and adorable illustrations will make this book from the bestselling creative team behind The Little Ghost Who Lost Her Boo a seasonal favorite. When a little witch loses her broom, she tries out several other modes of transportation. Nothing comes close to the broom she loves — if only she could find it.
RELATED: Magical Books About Witches
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Griselda Snook’s Spectacular Books
Buy from:Halloween lovers and reading enthusiasts alike will find much to love about this delightful picture book. A little boy named Henry wanders into a large, Halloween-themed bookstore. At first, he feels overwhelmed and doubts that anything in the store would appeal to him. But with some encouragement, Henry finds the perfect book.
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Boo Stew
Buy from:Curly Locks is a terrible cook, and everyone knows it, so it is a shock when someone steals some food from her window sill. When a group of monstrous creatures run wild and terrify the townspeople, Curly Locks believes her ghoulish cooking can save the day. This delightfully creepy tale is an entertaining new twist on the classic fairy tale.
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The Crayons Trick or Treat
Buy from:From the team behind everyone’s favorite, The Day the Crayons Quit, comes a hilarious story following the Crayons as they get ready to go trick-or-treating. They are all ready to go in their costumes, but they don’t know what to say when they ring their neighbors’ doorbells! Luckily, Purple Crayon teaches everyone the magic words!
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Duck & Goose, Honk! Quack! Boo!
Buy from:Get ready for another charming Duck & Goose adventure as they gear up for Halloween. Duck is a ghost and Goose is a superhero, but both are terrified of the swamp monster searching for them. Should they be?
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We're Going on a Goon Hunt
Buy from:This scary-silly parody of the perennial kids’ favorite, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, is a Halloween delight. Ever-so-creepy illustrations pair with hilarious rhyming text about a family that treks through graveyards, swamps, and pumpkin patches in search of a goon.
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How to Make Friends With a Ghost
Buy from:Have you ever wondered how to become friends with a ghost? This how-to guide has all the info you need to make it happen. From caring for your ghost to spending quality time together, this quirky and funny picture book is a delightful Halloween story and an excellent primer on friendship.
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Editor’s note: This post was originally published in 2015 and updated in 2026.