Kelly is a former librarian and a long-time blogger at STACKED. She's the editor/author of (DON'T) CALL ME CRAZY: 33 VOICES START THE CONVERSATION ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH and the editor/author of HERE WE ARE: FEMINISM FOR THE REAL WORLD. Her next book, BODY TALK, will publish in Fall 2020. Follow her on Instagram @heykellyjensen.
Since the day she was born, my child has been obsessed with Halloween and all things Halloween books. It’s a joy to know that books about witches or zombies, ghosts or skeletons don’t scare her. She’s utterly delighted by them. We cannot keep enough new options on her shelves, though there’s certainly not a shortage of rereads, either–the backlist gem She Wanted to Be Haunted by Marcus Ewert and illustrated by Susie Ghahremani is on an almost-nightly rotation!
New Halloween picture books began rolling in before summer even began, and the offerings for 2025 are nothing short of excellent. Whether you’ve got a little mummy-loving young reader at home or you yourself love a good creepy-fun picture book, you’re in for some excellent finds with this year’s offerings. This roundup includes books explicitly about Halloween and those which feature your typical Halloween iconography and creatures, but it’s not intended to be comprehensive.
As a bonus, you’ll find five backlist picks for excellent Halloween picture books at the bottom. These are the kinds of older Halloween picture books that not only hold up well but that deserve more attention.
New Halloween Picture Books for 2025
Aggie and the Ghost by Matthew Forsythe
Everything’s looking good for Aggie, who is excited to finally live on her own. There’s just one problem: there’s a ghost in her new house. Aggie’s plan is to set up some rules so she and the ghost can cohabitate. The ghost doesn’t like that though, and the result is an epic game of tic-tac-toe, with the winner becoming the sole house owner.
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Beverley, Bat Your Service by Kelly Collier
It’s been a long time since Beverley the bat has been able to play the role of hostess with the mostest. But now that a new family has moved into her house, she’s so excited to serve them excellent food, delicious smells, and comfy nests made from the clothing they brought.
The family isn’t happy, though, despite Beverley’s best efforts. How can she convince them she’s there to befriend them and not scare them?
Chicka Chicka Tricka Treat by Julien Chung
You know the classic Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. Now, the letters in the story get to don Halloween costumes while climbing up their tree. All looks well until a spooky witch swoops in.
It’s Almost Time for . . . Halloween by Maisha Oso, illustrated by Tom Knight
This rhyming picture book celebrates all of the activities and festivities that go into Halloween. Young readers will delight in seeing misadventures in this fun, engaging new series starter.
Keyana Loves Halloween by Natasha Anastasia Tarpley, illustrated by Charnelle Pinkney Barlow
Keyana loves Halloween and she is so excited to show off her cool costume this year. But then a puppy ruins her brother’s costume, and now, she will need to find a creative way to solve the problem without putting a damper on the night ahead. Tarpley’s book is an ode to creativity and problem solving–and what kid hasn’t had this kind of experience (or worried about it)?
Leonard Builds a Haunted House by Mike Ciccotello
Leonard is a cheerful and active young ghost. He’s excited to finally build his family a home. It is going to be the scariest house you could ever imagine. Except, the more Leonard builds, the less and less scary the house seems.
This is a picture book young readers will giggle when they read and discover that perhaps Leonard’s perceptions of his haunted house turning into the most mild house aren’t quite true.
Little Owl’s Fog by Divya Srinivasan
Little Owl has been invited to visit the cavern of his friends the bats. He’s really excited about it, since he’s never been to that part of the woods before. But the closer it gets to visit time, the more nervous Little Owl becomes. He’s going to bring his friend Raccoon along to be safe, but when they run into fog, things become even more mysterious. Good thing that Little Owl thinks that the fog makes the trip even more fun.
Luna and the Witch Throw a Halloween Party by Aubrey Plaza and Dan Murphy, illustrated by Hannah Peck
Here’s an admission that many readers won’t make. Last year, Lance Bass released a Halloween-themed book called Trick or Treat on Scary Street and though celebrity books are often kinda cringey, that book was actually . . . really good. That experience makes me even more excited to see what beloved actress Aubrey Plaza brings to her debut Halloween picture book, cowritten with long-time creative partner Dan Murphy.
Luna is desperate to be a witch, while Pheenie, a witch herself, is eager to throw the best Halloween party ever. So the duo strikes a deal: Luna helps Pheenie throw a great party, and Pheenie will help Luna in her witchy dreams. But it turns out that throwing a party is WAY harder than Luna expected.
Sleep Tight, Disgusting Blob by Huw Aaron
So this isn’t really a Halloween book per se, but because the level of scary young kids can handle varies so widely, it feels fitting to include this one since it’s less about scares and more about what it is to be a creature in the world. Aaron’s latest book is about nighttime routines and about how all beings–blobs, witches, spiders, and more!–have to go to bed at some point.
Swept Away at Witch Camp by Erin Vanessa
Sid’s a witch and loves everything about it. She’s good at it too, from making good potions to turning creatures into totally different creatures. But she’s about to start witch camp and where she might otherwise be excited, Sid is actually nervous. She’s got a big secret: she’s not good at flying on her broomstick. Sid’s worried about being so bad that she wants to quit witch camp altogether. But then she learns an important lesson–it’s okay to not be great. It’s more important to try.
This Year, A Witch! by Zoey Abbott
The main character in this story is tired of being dressed in cute and adorable costumes for Halloween. This year, she’s going to be a scary witch.
But when she looks in the mirror, she’s terrified by what she sees. What will she do when her expectations and wishes don’t line up with what she’d hoped for?
To Catch a Ghost by Rachel Michelle Wilson
The new girl at school is determined to make herself known through show-and-tell. She’s going to learn how to catch a ghost and then do it in front of her class. She’s prepared and has practiced. But will these skills help her land a new friend?
Witch Cat by Lucy Rowland, illustrated by Laura Hughes
Pippin’s job is to be a witch’s cat. He likes it a whole lot, but he wonders if he’d be good at being another type of cat. But as he tries out the roles of pirate’s cat, knight’s cat, and pet cat, Pippin begins to see the beauty of being the right-hand familiar of a witch.
The Zombees by Justin Colón and Kaly Quarles
This book arrived on my doorstep earlier this year, and it’s become an instant hit with my four-year-old Halloween lover.
There’s a buzzing sound coming from the graveyard. Meet the Zombees. But what is a swarm of bees doing in town? It’ll be one different Halloween night with a group of them around, that’s for sure.
More Great Halloween Picture Books from the Backlist
Ghosts in the House by Kazuno Kohara
The little girl in this book has quite an unusual problem. Her house is haunted by ghosts. But this little girl isn’t your usual girl. She’s a witch and knows that the solution to her ghost problem isn’t that far away. These ghosts will become sheets, blankets, table cloths, and more!
What makes this one a knockout is the humor and the perfect Halloween color palate.
The Ghost Who Was Afraid of Everything by Nadia Ahmed
Finn is a ghost, and while most ghosts enjoy the spoils of Halloween season, Finn does not. But a ghost has to enjoy trick or treating, right? This story is about how little by little, Finn learns to overcome his fears.
I’m Not Scary by Raahat Kaduji
So many Halloween books have really wonderful stories about friendship within them, and this is no exception. Bat so desperately wants to make new friends, but everyone seems to afraid of him. Even getting close to someone’s window can send them away screaming. How can Bat convince people he’s kind and friendly?
Prunella by Beth Ferry, illustrated by Claire Keane
This is another book that isn’t exactly a Halloween book but appeals to a wide variety of readers wanting a Halloween-season read. It follows young Prunella, who was born with a purple thumb. She loves growing creepy plants, and the weirder and stinkier the better.
Prunella’s garden has kept people away from her, but then another young fan of all things creepy plants shows up. She’s wary at first, but what if this is the start of a really wonderful friendship?
The plants in here are fun, the art is gorgeous, and it’s a story of being allowed to be prickly . . . so long as it’s not rude or mean.
She Wanted to Be Haunted by Marcus Ewert, illustrated by Susie Ghahremani
Last but not least, the book that I could recite front to back in my sleep–and that’s not a complaint.
Clarissa the cottage was born from two creepy building parents. But Clarissa doesn’t want to be cute and pink and sweet. She wants to be as haunted as her castle father and spell-filled witch hut mother. How can she change what she is in order to become what she wants to be?
Ghahremani is one of my favorite illustrators, and this book perfectly captures every word of Ewert’s text.
Want even more great Halloween picture books? You can find plenty more in this roundup and in this one.
English (US) · 