A list of cute Halloween books for toddlers that celebrate the holiday without anything spooky or scary for little ones!
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Best Children’s Halloween Books For Little Ones
If you think you might be taking your toddler trick-or-treating for the first time this year, reading a bit about Halloween beforehand can be a very fun way to prepare! I felt especially festive when I pulled together a stack of cute Halloween board books for the first time and began reading them at the beginning of October. Talking about Halloween traditions we could try helped build a lot of anticipation for the holiday and honestly since I became a parent I like Halloween more than I ever have before. There are tons of Halloween books for children out there but I narrowed it down to Halloween books for toddlers that would be friendly and approachable, not scary or spooky. Know that these titles were selected carefully to minimize the fright and maximize the fun for the youngest members of your family!
My Criteria for Great Halloween Books for Toddlers
Cute Illustrations
This is a huge priority for me when shopping for seasonal books especially because I like to display them. There’s something especially fun about switching out front-facing books for every holiday and stringing up a little garland to add a little bit of festivity. That means that most of the books you’ll find here have pretty cute covers or a semi-cohesive style that helps them all look good together.
Gentle Text
This is by far the most important criteria I considered when thinking about which books to recommend to you. I know when I was looking for Halloween books for my toddler I didn’t want to venture into scary territory. I wanted Halloween to be fun for her, not something that would make her feel nervous, worried, or afraid. This means I stayed away from anything that felt too dark or spooky to me. You will find a few friendly ghosts in my selections and even a few very mild monsters, but I was very careful about what I chose.
Reasonable Length
Most of these books are very quick reads, requiring just a couple minutes of your time. This makes it easy to get some reading time in despite your family’s schedule. And if your child requests five books, you can even read five at a time without delaying bedtime too much.
The Best Halloween Books for Toddlers
For a year or two, Ella Bailey’s popular book went out of print and it was difficult to find! It was just reissued for 2022, and you bet I preordered it for my girls! Yes, it looks appealing on a seasonal bookshelf, but there’s a lot more to this book. My girls love going back through the pages searching for the little ghosts. It’s a picture book with a fun story and a search-and-find element!
I was thrilled to pick up the latest book in The Goodnight Train series, which my kids have loved for years– we all have the original memorized. This one is perfect for preschoolers who are into all things vehicle-related.
Construction Site Gets a Fright
I have not one, but two new vehicle-related Halloween books for toddlers on this list! This one comes in a sturdy board book format and includes several interactive flaps. This book makes a great introduction to Halloween and can start some good conversations about what to do when the holiday can seem a little too scary!
I think of this Llama Llama book as the perfect primer for your toddler’s first Halloween. It’s one of the best children’s Halloween books I’ve found for helping them understand traditional American Halloween activities. The illustrations show the Llama family choosing costumes, carving pumpkins, admiring Halloween decorations, and trick-or-treating. If you are trying to explain what Halloween is all about to your curious toddler, this is a great place to start. Then when you carve pumpkins and select the perfect costume, you can refer back to the book to build that connection with your child.
This is a super simple Halloween-themed board book that won’t scare your little kids. If you’re familiar with Joyce Wan’s illustrations, then you know this book will be sweet and simple. It’s a quick read with rhyming text. Your toddler will meet several Halloween icons in the pages of this great Halloween book from pumpkins to bats to silly spiders. Nothing too spooky!
Little Cat is one of my favorite Halloween books for toddlers because it’s so interactive. My kids love finger puppet books and this is no exception. There’s nothing unlucky about this little black cat who enjoys a sweet Halloween treat. I was so glad to find this one because it’s a perfect Halloween book for babies that still works well for toddlers and even preschoolers.
In this board book, five smiley ghosts are looking for fun activities in a haunted house. They paint, play dress up, find a snack, and more. Relatable content for toddlers, yes? These ghosts are anything but spooky, just a tiny bit mischevious. I like the cartoonish illustrations and gentle narrative. Nothing to fret about here!
You can see this great Halloween book read on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jB5IRyUFug
Sandra Boynton’s Halloween book for toddlers is the little gem, Spooky Pooky. There’s nothing spooky about Pooky, which is what keeps the book silly, light, and completely appropriate for your littlest kids. Just like a few other books on this list, the main character is looking for his Halloween costume and goes through a few different options before deciding just what he’ll wear for his (non-spooky) Halloween debut.
This is an extremely gentle Halloween book for toddlers and even babies. The cute illustrations are warm and friendly while covering traditional Halloween territory like pumpkins and black cats. The text rhymes and moves quickly, so it’s perfect for a young child who might not want to sit for a long time. Pro tip: You can also sing the text to the tune of The Itsy Bitsy Spider!
If You’re Spooky and You Know It
This riff on the song If You’re Happy and You Know It will have you jumping, stomping, and dancing with your delighted toddler. I can’t help but sing the words instead of reading them. It’s a great Halloween book for preschoolers who need to wiggle and move, especially as a transition into or out of story time. I appreciate the way that this book makes spooky Halloween characters and motifs seem very silly, underscoring that this holiday can be fun and not scary.
In this book, Mouse gets to decorate a pumpkin and explore the different emotions each pumpkin face makes. It’s a sweet blend of Halloween festivity and social/emotional skill building for even the youngest readers. It may inspire you to get out the washable paints and have your own special Pumpkin Day at home.
Another very fun lift-the-flap book! In this book, our pal Little Blue Truck is on his way to a Halloween party. The barnyard animals are all dressed up in silly costumes and the scenery takes on the darker tones of dusk, but if you’re a fan of this series, all of the core elements are there. A grea Halloween book for children of all ages.
I couldn’t make a list of Halloween books for toddlers without including our good friend Daniel Tiger. Fun fact: This was the very first Daniel Tiger book I purchased for my daughter. We’ve burned through two copies and at one point I had to pull it out of our rotation because I had read it aloud way too many times. Each character chooses a Halloween costume based on their interests and then they participate in a Halloween parade through the neighborhood. As you might imagine if you’ve seen the show, all of these costumes are child-friendly choices. If your child already loves Daniel Tiger, get this book. If they love Daniel Tiger and lift-the-flap books, then this will be an especially delightful selection.
Karen Katz offers us a sweet Halloween book for toddlers with Where’s Baby’s Pumpkin? Since my kids loved Where’s Baby’s Belly Button and Where’s Baby’s Easter Eggs, I thought we’d try this one out. It’s a super short book with bright illustrations and the interactive flap element that so many babies and toddlers love. Another fun introduction to a new holiday, perfect for baby’s first Halloween or for a toddler who has never been trick-or-treating before.
Stumpkin tells the tale of a patient pumpkin waiting to be taken home and turned into a jack-o-lantern. The only problem is that he doesn’t have a nice stem, so he keeps getting overlooked. Will it ever be Stumpkin’s turn? Many Halloween stories are set in big pumpkin patches, but this story takes place in a big city, which is a fun change of scenery.
This charming picture book is one I look forward to pulling out from storage each year. I love the special foil details and cutouts throughout the pages, and this book introduced me to Nicola Killen’s other charming holiday reads for Easter and Christmas. The storyline is gentle, not spooky, with lots of fall leaves, a lost kitten, and a grateful witch.
When I first saw Pick a Pumpkin a few years ago, I had to add it to my collection! This book walks us through the tradition of selecting the perfect pumpkin, carving it into a clever jack o’lantern, and then heading off for an evening of trick-or-treating. I love the vintage feel of the illustrations that gives this book a timeless feel.
Great Halloween Books for Little Ones
I’ve enjoyed Halloween so much more since I’ve found a way to celebrate this holiday in a way that feels really toddler-friendly. I hope these cute books will help your family think about some fun traditions you might like to try with your sweet toddler this year!
My name is Kate and I live in a California beach town with my husband & baby girl. At High Low Baby, I review baby products at high and low price points.
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