The 15 Best Halloween Books For Kids

From spooky stories to silly ghost rhymes, books are a great way to get kids excited for Halloween, and they can be as funny or as creepy as you like. The best Halloween books for kids deliver the spirit of the holiday and are age-appropriate for your little one (i.e. not too scary or just scary enough). Take your pick of monsters, witches, creepy carrots, costumes, ghosts, pumpkins, and more in these board books, hardcovers, and paperbacks that will get your child prepared for the big day and beyond.

What To Look For In Halloween Books For Kids

When it comes to Halloween and your little one, you might want to check the recommended reading age for the book and look at a few of the pictures or read some reviews. Every child is different, and what’s too scary for one may not be spooky at all for another, and a Halloween book should prepare your child for the fun elements of the holiday and complement your own traditions.

It’s also good to consider how you want your child to interact with the material. Lift-the-flap books, books with spooky sound effect buttons, or interactive, rhyming, counting, and singing elements can be a fun way for younger children to learn about Halloween. Some might also feature bilingual elements, monster-ized parodies, or just a simple story about the life cycle of a pumpkin to get them into the holiday mood. Older kids with longer attention spans and a greater interest in spooky things might enjoy lengthier dark stories or a detailed I Spy book with creepy locations.

Whether this is your little one's first Halloween or they’re a spooky story fan, these are some of the best Halloween books on Amazon that can be enjoyed all year round.

1. A Lift-The-Flap Halloween Board Book With Trucks & Animals

Why It’s Great:

• Over 11,000 reviews and an overall 4.9-star rating
• Board book with flaps
• Part of the popular Little Blue Truck series

If your little one loves the Little Blue Truck series as much as my son, then this is the Halloween book for you. The 16-page board book (also available in hardcover and Kindle versions) follows Blue and his good friend Toad as they pick up their animal friends for a costume party. Kids can guess who is in each costume by lifting the sturdy flaps. It features rhyming, animal noises, and colorful disguises, a great way to introduce little ones to the fun of Halloween. Beep! Beep!

Helpful Amazon review: “My 2 year old is obsessed with Halloween all of a sudden (even though it’s springtime..) and since he loves his other Little Blue Truck books we got this one. It is so cute! He loves it and I love reading it with him! I didn’t realize when I ordered it that it was a lift the flap book, even better! Highly recommend for the simple fun story line and cute illustrations. We almost have the entire Little Blue Truck set and am sure we will soon! If your little babe loves trucks and animals, this series is for you!”

Recommended Reading Age: 1 — 3 years | Pages: 16

2. A Spooky I Spy Book For Halloween

Why It’s Great:

• Over 3,700 reviews and an overall 4.8-star rating
• Search for items in over 13 spooky locations
• Features extra rhyming riddles at the end

There’s a lot for kids to enjoy in the spooky, detailed locations of this I Spy hardcover book. From a mysterious laboratory to the rooms of a haunted house, kids can search through 13 beautifully illustrated scenes for mice, spiders, candles, bats, jack-o-lanterns, and more eerie objects. There are riddles on every page that help with the search, and there’s even an extra credit section at the end where kids can match the riddles to the previous pictures. Reviewers rave that it’s a fun Halloween activity to do with kids, and even younger kids can help with the hunt.

Helpful Amazon review: “We got this for our toddler to practice words and associating words with pictures so this is great! We bring this out a lot especially around halloween because its fun for him to find the hidden pictures and feels really proud of himself when he gets it right. Great for positive reinforcement and learning, can't ask for a better book, this series is great for little kids, and fun for us too!”

Recommended Reading Age: 3 — 9 years | Pages: 40

3. A Wildly Popular Halloween Paperback About Witches

Why It’s Great:

• Over 32,000 reviews and an overall 4.9-star rating
• A rhyming story about a friendly witch

For a cute Halloween story about a generous witch, a hungry dragon, and some helpful animals, Room on the Broom is a solid pick. From the team that brought you The Gruffalo, this 32-page paperback uses rhyming and repetition to engage kids and add to the fun of reading aloud. It’s about working together and thinking on your feet to help your friends. The witch makes it enjoyable for Halloween, but the story makes it a pleasure to read any time of year. It’s also available in hardcover, spiral bound, audio CD, and audiobook formats. Just keep in mind that some British words have been Americanized in this version.

Helpful Amazon review: “I bought this for my daughter for a Halloween gift, but we enjoy reading it all the time. It is a great book that teaches to include everyone and be kind. I love the rhyme and the illustrations.”

Recommended Reading Age: 2 — 5 years | Pages: 32

4. An Interactive Monster Book For Young Kids

Why It’s Great:

• Over 7,000 reviews and an overall 4.9-star rating
• Interactive

An adorable monster is stuck in this book, and only your child can get them out. Through 32 pages, kids have to interact with the story by tickling and petting the monster and sometimes shaking and spinning the book. Reviewers report the monster is more mischievous than scary, and the cute illustrations make kids comfortable with having a monster “in their room.” Featured here is a hardcover, but you can also get it as a paperback, board book, or Kindle version. And if your little one prefers witches to monsters, there’s also There’s A Witch in Your Book where kids can turn their fingers into magical wands.

Helpful Amazon review: “This book is interactive so it's a fun read. Nicely bound board book, perfect length story. Great for older toddlers, beginning preschoolers. I bought several copies to pass out to my grandchildren for Halloween. Sound purchase.”

Recommended Reading Age: 1 — 4 years | Pages: 32

5. A Halloween Book That Makes Spooky Sounds

Why It’s Great:

• Over 2,000 reviews and an overall 4.8-star rating
• Features 10 spooky sound buttons for kids to press while reading the story

From wailing ghosts to cackling witches, this interactive book lets your little one press buttons and make spooky sounds along with the story. The cute illustrations and fun rhymes introduce kids to Halloween characters without making it scary. The book ends with a fun holiday party with all the vampires, skeletons, bats, and more enjoying a big candy spread (spoiler alert). The story isn’t long (just 10 pages), but the board book is sturdy and will hold up for a variety of ages. It’s also available in paperback.

Helpful Amazon review: “Our toddler definitely loves this book and it was her favorite Halloween book this year. The story is cute inside and you can follow the buttons to make various noises as you read the story with the little one. It helped expand Halloween vocabulary for our daughter. The pages are also nice and thick and don’t rip as with some other books. Worth the buy!”

Recommended Reading Age: 1 — 3 years | Pages: 10

6. A Scary & Silly Book About Creepy Carrots

Why It’s Great:

• Over 4,000 reviews and an overall 4.9-star rating
• A scary story that’s not too scary
• Winner of the Caldecott Medal

For some Twilight Zone style imagery, cute bunnies, and creepy carrots, this hardcover book is a solid choice. It follows Jasper Rabbit and his love for the vegetable. But when Jasper gets greedy and starts to eat more and more, he fears the carrots are following him and hungry for revenge. Creepy Carrots! is a thriller that introduces kids to a spooky story with 40 pages of fun, silly illustrations. It’s also available in Kindle, paperback, and audiobook formats.

Helpful Amazon review: “BEST noir and moody illustrations! And the subject (bunnies and carrots) is innocent enough it won't be too scary for hardly anyone but still captures the mood and theme of a scary story. Perfect for Halloween!”

Recommended Reading Age: 3 — 6 years | Pages: 40

7. A Beautifully Illustrated Paperback That Follows A Pumpkin Through All Seasons

Why It’s Great:

• Learn about the life cycle of a pumpkin
• End of the book features science project ideas

If you want to take a break from the witches, ghosts, and bats, Pumpkin Jack is a nice palate cleanser. It follows a young boy named Tim and the first pumpkin he ever carved, named Jack. After Halloween, Tim takes Jack out to the garden, where he watches it rot and change, and he sees a new plant grow in the spring. With 32 pages of beautiful illustrations, kids learn about the circle of life and the seasons. It also features some pumpkin science projects at the end for kids and adults. Featured here is a paperback, but you can also get it in hardcover and Kindle versions.

Helpful Amazon review: “My son's kindergarten teacher read this to them this week, and my son and I fell in love with it! A very different story for Halloween, and one that will have your child(ren) wanting to put THEIR jack-o-lantern in the garden instead of the trash, just to see what happens. Terrific story, beautiful illustrations.”

Recommended Reading Age: 3 — 6 years | Pages: 32

8. A Spooky Take On A Classic Song

Why It’s Great:

• Over 6,500 reviews and an overall 4.8-star rating
• Can be sung along with the “Wheels on the Bus” song
• Also a counting book

Even if your kids don’t know the song “The Wheels on the Bus,” they can still enjoy The Spooky Wheels on the Bus. Set to the same tune, kids also learn about counting while they sing. As the one spooky bus shakes and rattles through town, two white wipers go creak, and it goes all the way to 10 goofy ghosts. There are 24 pages of cute illustrations that make the Halloween characters fun and silly, and the lyrics are close enough to the original song for kids to recognize. Featured here is the paperback version, but you can also get it as a board book or Kindle version.

Helpful Amazon review: “This is so cute. A perfect Halloween book for little ones. They sing along to Wheels on The Bus Halloween style! With cute pictures, especially the mummies, and some tongue twisters this book is a treat for all.”

Recommended Reading Age: 2 — 3 years | Pages: 24

9. A Vintage Book Of Scary Stories For Kids Over 5

Why It’s Great:

• Features seven spooky stories
• Hardcover features the original illustrations from the 1980s

When I was a kid, nothing was scarier and more thrilling than In a Dark, Dark Room and Other Scary Stories. With tales like “The Green Ribbon” (a girl who wears a green ribbon around her neck) and “The Night It Rained” (a man gives a sweater to a young boy in the rain), it’s a great introduction for kids getting interested in ghost stories, but might be too scary for younger ones. If you’re also a fan of this book and the original 1980s illustrations, make sure to get the hardcover, as the paperback features more updated images and graphics that have a different feel.

Helpful Amazon review: “I remembered this book from when I was a child and recently bought it for my nieces and nephews (ages 5-8) to read during the Halloween season. (They are just starting to get into telling ghost stories.) They LOVED it and looked for it every time they came over. The stories were spooky enough to capture their attention and imaginations but not too scary. I think they'll enjoy it for years to come!”

Recommended Reading Age: 5 — 8 years | Pages: 64

10. A Halloween Board Book About Picking Out The Perfect Costume

Why It’s Great:

• Over 6,900 reviews and an overall 4.9-star rating
• A rhyming story about picking out a Halloween costume

Sandra Boynton’s work features charming characters and rhymes, and the board book Spooky Pookie is no exception. It introduces kids to trick-or-treating and follows Pookie's search for the perfect Halloween costume, from a banana outfit to a bear suit to a “booing” ghost. The pages are sturdy for little hands to grab, and at 18 pages, it’s a great, short read for bedtime.

Helpful Amazon review: “My son enjoys reading all of Sandra Boynton's books, but the Pookie books are his favorites! [...] I purchased this book to get him excited about Halloween and to practice saying "Trick or Treat" before the big day. He likes looking at the different costumes Pookie tries on and calling out their names. We're still working on saying "Trick or Treat", but this book is a definite treat to read!!”

Recommended Reading Age: 1 — 3 years | Pages: 18

11. A Halloween Counting Book About Ghosts & A Witch

Why It’s Great:

• Over 4,800 reviews and an overall 4.9-star rating
• Involves rhyming and counting

This Halloween paperback uses rhyming and counting (similar to 10 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed) to follow 10 timid ghosts as they try to take back their haunted house from a mean witch who’s scared them out. The illustrations are colorful and detailed and make it fun for kids to count all the hiding ghosts. And for little ones, they can learn the witch’s spooky props and costumes aren’t real, so they don’t have to be afraid.

Helpful Amazon review: “We’ve been reading it every night for 2 months now… and it’s helped us discuss spooky Halloween things before Halloween. The witch is using decorations and costumes; it’s not real. This has proven to be so helpful for my little guy now that Halloween decor is going up in stores; it’s spooky but it’s just a decoration vs. it’s scary and real.”

Recommended Reading Age: 2 — 5 years | Pages: 32

12. A Monster Parody Of Goodnight Moon

Why It’s Great:

• Over 3,300 reviews and an overall 4.8-star rating
• Halloween book for kids who are familiar with Goodnight Moon
• New York Times bestseller

Your child doesn’t have to know Goodnight Moon to enjoy this monster-ized parody, Goodnight Goon. If they like tombs, goons, and Martians taking over the moon, they can get into the silly rhymes and detailed illustrations of this board book (also available as a hardcover, paperback, audio CD, or Kindle format). Using the format of the classic bedtime tale, they’re also introduced to vampires, witches, werewolves, a monster under the bed, and other creepy characters. One reviewer reports, “Not too spooky at ALL, but the perfect amount of weird and fun.”

Helpful Amazon review: “I bought this book to read to my son at halloween time (it is his favorite holiday). It is a such a cute idea and is based on the book "goodnight moon" which he was also familiar with. The illustrations are amazing and the book is clever and well written. We now read this year round, not just at halloween. If your kids love the original goodnight moon or if they just love monsters pick up this book...they will enjoy reading it and so will you!!”

Recommended Reading Age: 1 — 4 years | Pages: 30

13. A Halloween Poem Book That’s In English & Spanish

Why It’s Great:

• Introduces kids to new Spanish and English words
• Features a glossary to help with pronunciation

To introduce your little one to spooky characters and Halloween words in Spanish at the same time, you’ll want to reach for this paperback (also available in audiobook, Kindle, and hardcover). Follow a crew of monsters as they throw a ball in the Haunted Hall, featuring vampires, mummies, and ghosts, with a final scare at the end and a cute, surprising twist. It’s written as a bilingual Halloween poem, with rich, eerie illustrations that highlight the illustrator’s Mexican culture. One reviewer reports, “It is a good way to incorporate some discussion about Day of the Dead and the way that other countries celebrate their version of Halloween.” The Spanish words are woven into the story with context clues, and there’s a glossary in the back to help with pronunciation.

Helpful Amazon review: “Los Gatos Black on Halloween gave a fun bicultural bilingual twist to the traditional Halloween we know. The pictures are great with expressing the different elements of Halloween. Kids will love to see all the spooky pictures of black cats, skeletons, ghosts, jack-o-lanterns, and witches and flying broomsticks. I really enjoyed the one or two Spanish words on each page. It's written in a way that is understandable by translating the word either in the same line or on the next one. The book rhymes which made it so much fun to read and made me want to turn the page.”

Recommended Reading Age: 4 — 8 years | Pages: 32

14. A Lift-The-Flap Board Book That Rhymes

Why It’s Great:

• Sturdy flaps
• Introduces young kids to Halloween traditions

This board book is only five pages, but it’s perfect for introducing babies, toddlers, and young kids to some fun Halloween themes. The thick pages of this book will fit easily into little hands, and the sturdy flaps help support your child’s motor skills. The illustrations are adorable, and the rhyming story features simple sentences for little ones to follow along. There are owls, ghosts, black cats, bats, and more, plus the nouns are highlighted with different colors to stand out and help kids with vocabulary. One reviewer raves that it’s their three children’s “go-to seasonal book.”

Helpful Amazon review: “My toddler loves this book, I wish we had gotten it since she was a smaller baby. It's easy to read and the pictures are very eye catching. It's small enough for her to carry around, and the illustrations are too cute.”

Recommended Reading Age: Baby — 2 years | Pages: 5

15. A Halloween Story About Spooky Characters Working Together

Why It’s Great:

• Over 2,200 reviews and an overall 4.9-star rating
• Halloween characters have to use teamwork to make a huge pumpkin pie

In this 32-page paperback, a witch has grown the biggest pumpkin ever and wants to make a pie for Halloween. Unfortunately, she can’t move it, and a mummy, vampire, and ghost aren’t offering any great solutions. It comes down to an idea from a little bat and a lot of teamwork to save the day. The story is told with rhyme and repetition, which makes it fun to read aloud and easy for kids to remember. There’s also an original soundtrack that goes along with the story that reviewers love and remember as kids, with one reporting, “it is so fun and turns the book into more of a song.” And if you want another format, the book is available as an audiobook, Kindle, and hardcover.

Helpful Amazon review: “My kids have loved this story since 2003! It's got a great message, without being preachy. This story is not too spooky, just perfect for getting in the Halloween spirit. And all that talk of Pumpkin Pie always makes us ready for Fall traditions.”

Recommended Reading Age: 2 — 5 years | Pages: 32