12 Fun, Festive Picture Books About Pumpkins

A witch wanted to make pumpkin pie, so she buried a seed and grew her own pumpkin. Hours before Halloween, she can’t yank free the fruit off the vine. A ghost offers to help, to no avail; a vampire takes a turn at the Big Pumpkin, as does a mummy, but none are strong enough. Then a little bat comes along, without muscles, but with an idea… which leads to a yummy pie made yummier through the act of sharing.

The touch-and-feel board book is filled with spooky pumpkins, and one that hides a boo-ing ghost. Solving a case of Ghost-stuck-in-a-pumpkin syndrome is no problem for this Disney star. And the book ultimately shows that Halloween characters aren’t oh-so-scary.

Celebrating a moment called “Pumpkin Day,” this much-loved mouse is decorating pumpkins (seven, to be exact), and decides to illustrate emotions on each one. Each face emotes feelings ranging from sad to surprised, and then a dog makes that scary one…

The Great Pumpkin is said to rise out of the pumpkin patch on Halloween night — or so believes Linus, who misses out on bobbing for apples and dancing at a Halloween party to wait all night for its appearance. Spoiler: No Great Pumpkin appears, but the sweet belief rises every year. You can find other iterations of the Peanuts book, like this sound-enhanced version, which brings the story to greater life with musical soundtracks, and cartoon voices saying familiar phrases like, “I got a rock.”

A seed wants desperately to boo! and be scary. The seed tries to boo! passing leaves and snowflakes, but not a thing flinches. While the seed snoozes, it grows; while different objects tend to it, like a shovel and watering can, it boos! and grows from sprout to plant, all the while the wind whispering words of patience. As a pumpkin, it boos the hands that pick it; as a jack-o’-lantern it freights and lights the house that holds it.

If your kid’s a fan of this too-cool cat, pull out this simple counting story. Each pumpkin (well, jack-o’-lantern, more accurately) makes spooky observations in short statements, building suspense and smiles along the way.

It’s not just about picking a pumpkin; it’s about how the act can turn into a fun occasion to be shared with family and friends. From the orchard to the house and into Halloween night, pumpkins can play a big part in the seasonal traditions. And as you’ll see in these pages, the fruits also come in all shapes, sizes and colors.

Consider for babies working on their fine motor skills this hardcover, which contains five open-shut flaps that reveal Halloween themed pop-ups, from a trio of bats to a Smiley Ghost. The final, a pumpkin, sits in front of a hiding, meow-ing cat.

With photos and lessons from life, this story shows budding gardeners how a pumpkin grows from seed, to vine, to fruit, to seed again. With descriptive language that conjures the textures and feels you get from a pumpkin (both inside and out), it’s a timeless and educational read.

Jamie planted a pumpkin seed… the seed became a sprout… and transformed into a round fruit, and all the page-turning time you can just see the wonder grow in Jamie’s eyes. The story is short, sweet, and surprisingly emotional, no doubt in part to its watercolor-y images.

A long narrative, which begins with two mice who fall head-over-heels for the same pumpkin, takes readers on a journey. When the two mice finally realize that they have been working together on the same goal, it leads to a town-wide celebration of what may just be the biggest pumpkin ever.

This four-sided squash has become so popular — thanks to its kind heart and generous spirit — it has inspired an orchard in upstate New York to host autumnal viewing parties of the cartoon under the stars. For locals, it’s a tradition worth falling for. In this hardcover, you’ll even find a CD for a read-aloud experience. And on Netflix, you can even watch Spookley’s 2004 animated movie.