Spooky (But Not Too Scary) Picture Books

Cover image for The Bumpy Little Pumpkin

by Margery Cuyler Illustrated by Will Hillenbrand

Little Nell has found the perfect pumpkin for Halloween. It's bumpy and little and lumpy — and just right. Then, her bossy sisters, BIG Sarah and BIG Lizzie, tell her it's too small and ugly to make a good jack-o'-lantern.

Cinderella Skeleton

by Robert D. San Souci Illustrated by David Catrow

Robert San Souci and award-winning illustrator David Catrow retell the Cinderella story with a hilarious twist. This time Cinderella is … a skeleton. Evil stepsisters, Prince Charnel, and a Halloween Ball are all wrapped into one comical fractured fairy tale.

The Hallo-Wiener

by Dav Pilkey

When is a hot dog not a hot dog? When he becomes a hero sandwich!

One Halloween Night

by Mark Teague

While trick-or-treating, Wendell, Floyd, and Mona are haunted by costume dilemmas, awful candy (with names like "broccoli chews" and "eggplant fizzlers"), and a pack of nasty witches. But before the night is over, a little Halloween magic conjures up some winning surprises.

Spooky Hour

by Tony Mitton Illustrated by Guy Parker-Rees

Skeletons dance by, their bones clicking and clacking, as witches fly past on their brooms, cackling. Ghosts and goblins and big, fat, hairy spiders set the scene, as kids rhyme their way through the night on their way to the spookiest party ever!

Ten Timid Ghosts

by Jennifer O'Connell

Ten ghosts, a witch, and a haunted house make this Halloween countdown a spooky treat!

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bat!

by Lucille Colandro Illustrated by Jared Lee

There was an old lady who swallowed a bat. Imagine that! She also swallowed an owl, a cat, a ghost, a goblin, some bones, and even a wizard! This Halloween-themed twist on the classic "little old lady" books will delight and entertain all brave readers who dare to read it!

Trick-Or-Treat, Smell My Feet!

by Lisa Desimini Illustrated by Lisa Desimini

Stinky, stinky socks! That's the secret ingedient in these witches' wickedly silly Halloween brew. They've been cooking up a naughty little spell to make sure nobody gets any candy! But what's this? Something strange is in the cauldron — something cute and fuzzy that the witches haven't noticed.