13 Not-So-Scary Picture Books for Halloween

1, Go Away, Big Green Monster! by Ed Emberley

Help your kids say goodbye to nighttime fears, as they muster the courage to make the Big Green Monster disappear! Think they have what it takes?

 

2. The Little Shop of Monsters by R.L. Stine, illustrated by Marc Brown

Enter…if you dare. The Little Shop of Monsters has all sorts of ghoulish creatures for you to pick from. You better hurry though, before one of them chooses YOU!

 

3. Creepy Carrots! by Aaron Reynolds, illustrated by Peter Brown

We’re always told not to play with our food, but no one’s ever telling our food not to play with us! What happens when Jasper Rabbit’s favorite food start haunting him? It’s all fun and games until you eat one too many carrots.

 

4. The Dark by Lemony Snicket, illustrated by Jon Klassen

If you’re afraid of the dark you’re not alone…the dark is always there to keep you company, but so is Laszlo. Bravely face the dark together this Halloween, and you just might find that it isn’t so scary after all.

 

5. The 

13 Nights of Halloween by Guy Vasilovich

Mummy has a special treat for you each of the nights leading up to Halloween! Bet you can’t wait to find out what spooky, icky, even slimy gifts she has waiting for you to uncover.

 

6. Substitute Creacher by Chris Gall

Ms. Jenkins’ mischievous students get a taste of their own medicine when a multi-tentacled, yellow-spotted, one-eyed monster takes over their classroom for a day and teaches them a thing or two!

 

7. Fingers for Halloween by Brandt Lewis, illustrated by Cori Doerrfeld

Your toddler will burst into giggles as he or she fits fingers through die-cut holes and a hungry little monster (played by YOU) tries to gobble up every last one!

 

8. Big Pumpkin by Erica Silverman, illustrated by S. D. Schindler

When life gives you a giant pumpkin, make pie—that’s what this witch wants to do! Except the pumpkin is SO big, she can’t get it off the vine!

 

9. Zip! Zoom! On a Broom! by Teri Sloat, illustrated by Rosalinde Bonnet

It’s hard enough to fly a broomstick, let alone jump on one! Are the ten wacky witches jumping on the broom doomed? Count along with your child as they jump and fall off, one by one!

 

10.  Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Axel Scheffler

Need more broomstick fun? Flying on a broom is a breeze…until you drop your hat, then your bow, and then your wand! What will it take for the witch and her cat to get back their lost items?

 

11. The Boo! Book by Nathaniel Lachenmeyer, illustrated by Nicoletta Ceccoli

Boo! We all know houses can be haunted, but can books be haunted too? This book has a special surprise lurking inside for your kids to uncover. You never know who might pop up!

 

12. Crankenstein by Samantha Berger, illustrated by Dan Santat

Instead of Frankenstein, unleash your inner Crankenstein this Halloween with this hilariously silly picture book.

 

13. Tell Me a Scary Story…But Not Too Scary! by Carl Reiner, illustrated by James Bennett

Before you trick-or-treat this year, gather ’round and listen close to a young boy’s tale about the spooky house next door. Will fear keep you from turning the page? (That’s for you to decide, but we sure hope not!)