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.
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Babies & Toddlers
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Little Pumpkin
Available 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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On Top of Linguine: An Eye-Popping Parody
Available 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
Available 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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The Very Hungry Caterpillar’s Creepy Crawly Halloween
Available from:Join The Very Hungry Caterpillar as he ventures through the woods on Halloween night. Each page features a flap that lifts to reveal a creepy crawly critter. This is the perfect book to get tiny readers into the Halloween spirit.
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Roald Dahl: Trick or Treat
Available 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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Happy Halloween from The Very Busy Spider
Available from:Tag along with your favorite arachnid as he celebrates Halloween with characters from Eric Carle’s books. Appearances by new and familiar characters make this not-so-scary board book a hit with babies and parents alike.
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Boo's Haunted House
Available from:Join the brave cat and mouse on a spine-tingling adventure as they explore a haunted house. Rhyming text and colorful characters make this a delightful Halloween read.
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Halloween Friends
Available 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?
Available 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
Available 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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Monsters Play...Counting!
Available from:Fun-to-read rhymes, colorful monsters, and plenty of things to count make this board book the perfect Halloween read for babies and toddlers. If you enjoy this book, pick up the companion book, Monsters Play…Peekaboo!
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Pop-Up Peekaboo! Monsters
Available from:Little readers will love lifting the flaps to discover adorable little monsters playing hide-and-seek. The creepy critters are all styled to look like stuffed toys, making them appear to seemingly jump off the page.
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Pre-K
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Spooky, Scary Skeletons
Available 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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Things that Go Bump in the Day
Available from:When the sun rises, it’s time for Vlad, a little vampire, to go to bed. But daytime brings a lot of noises, and with each one, Vlad rushes to his mom for comfort. Kids will love this humorous Halloween spin on the traditional bedtime story.
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It’s Not Easy Being a Ghost
Available from:Misty, the ghost, is too cute to be frightening, so she dresses up as scarier monsters like a werewolf and a witch. Her attempts at scaring others are hilariously ineffective, and Misty learns the value of embracing herself the way she is.
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The Little Witch Who Lost Her Broom
Available 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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Grumpy Monkey Don't Be Scared
Available from:Grumpy Monkey and his jungle friends are trick-or-treating on Halloween amid strange noises and mysterious smells. Along the way, they are reminded that nothing can be scarier than returning home with no treats. Two pages of full-color stickers are included for extra fun!
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Boo! Bluey's Halloween
Available from:This magnet board book is a delightful Halloween treat for young Bluey fans. Kids can use the magnetic characters to act out Bluey and Bingo's Halloween adventure around the neighborhood or create stories of their own. Pair with Bluey: Hooray, It's Halloween!: A Coloring Book and Bluey's Halloween Mix-and-Match.
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Griselda Snook’s Spectacular Books
Available 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
Available 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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There's a Witch in Your Book
Available from:The latest in Tom Fletcher's popular interactive series, There's a Witch in Your Book is pure Halloween fun! When a little witch lands in the book, she's ready to cause some magical mischief. Little readers will love using their magic finger wands to block her spells and keep her from causing too much havoc.
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Witch & Wombat
Available from:Every witch needs a cat, and Wilma can’t wait to select one from the pet store. But when there are no cats available, Wilma adopts a wombat instead — and dresses it up like a cat. This adorable and funny picture book encourages children to accept others as they are.
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The Crayons Trick or Treat
Available 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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Uni the Unicorn: The Haunted Pumpkin Patch
Available from:Uni the Unicorn fans will adore her Halloween adventure. Uni and her friends are excited about their pumpkin patch until strange things start happening. Suddenly, everyone worries that the pumpkin patch is haunted. It’s up to Uni to figure out what’s really going on.
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Duck & Goose, Honk! Quack! Boo!
Available 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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Leila, the Perfect Witch
Available from:From the author of the bestselling picture book Gustavo, the Shy Ghost, comes a new story for children who love Halloween. Leila the witch is a perfectionist who excels at everything she does, except cooking. When she enters a baking competition, she asks her sisters for help and discovers something better than perfection — friendship.
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We're Going on a Goon Hunt
Available 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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No Such Thing
Available from:Kids who get scared easily will appreciate this story about a girl who finds logical explanations for strange events. Readers will enjoy the retro-style illustrations, hunting for cute ghosts, and learning the actual reasons behind spine-tingling happenings.
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Sir Simon: Super Scarer
Available from:Ghosts hate doing chores, so it’s not surprising that Simon the ghost convinces Chester the human to swap chore lists with him. Unfortunately, neither ghost nor boy performs the other’s chores very well! Young readers will adore this hilarious and not-so-scary story about an unlikely friendship.
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Room on the Broom
Available from:Join the witch as she makes friends with one animal after another and learns that sharing can bring unexpected results. With rollicking rhyme and a surprise ending, this story is a hit with tiny book lovers.
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How to Make Friends With a Ghost
Available 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 2024.