Halloween is just around the corner and this month we’ll be posting our recommended reads for all ages ranges! We’re starting with the littlest ghouls and goblins – check out our list of spooktacular board books and make sure to pick them up from your favorite bookstore for a sweet treat!
Boo!
By Leslie Patricelli
26 Pages | Ages 0-3 | Board Book
ISBN 9780763663209 | Candlewick
The inimitable Baby brings a humorous spin to the holidays in a cheerful board book fit for trick-or-treat bags. It’s almost Halloween! How should Daddy carve the pumpkin? So many expressions to choose from! What should Baby be – a princess or pirate, ballerina or clown? When the jack-o’-lantern’s ready (looking suspiciously like Baby), it’s time for a little ghost to head out in the slightly scary night. But fear turns to excitement as the pumpkin fills up with treats. WOW!
Boo Who?
By Ben Clanton
32 Pages | Ages 2-5 | Board Book
ISBN 9780763699673 | Candlewick
A shy little ghost who’s new to the group has trouble fitting in – until his special talent comes to the fore. Boo is new. And even if the other kids are welcoming, it can be scary being new, especially for a shy ghost who can’t play any of their games. (“You tagged me? Oh, sorry. I couldn’t feel it.”) Can Boo find a way to fit in and make friends with the rest of the group? From the creator of Rex Wrecks It! comes a funny story about feeling invisible – and finding a way to be seen and appreciated for who you are.
Dr. Seuss’ Spooky Things
Illustrated by Tom Brannon
26 Pages | Ages 0-3 | Board Book
ISBN 9781984850973 | Random House BFYR
A Halloween board book featuring Thing One and Thing Two from Dr. Seuss’s The Cat in the Hat! Written in super-simple rhyme, little boys and ghouls will giggle with glee at this ever-so-slightly spooky board book starring Things One and Two dressing up in classic Halloween costumes – including ghosts, bats, skeletons, black cats, and pumpkins! It’s a sweet Halloween treat and a great way to introduce babies and toddlers to the world of Dr. Seuss!
Halloween ABC
Illustrated by Jannie Ho
26 Pages | Ages 0-3 | Board Book
ISBN 9780763695279 | Nosy Crow
This sturdy alphabet board book introduces simple seasonal words to get toddlers excited about Halloween. Along with letters to say out loud, there are bright pictures featuring lots of happy faces and familiar spooky details to spot.
Happy Halloween from The Very Busy Spider
By Eric Carle
10 Pages | Ages 3-5 | Board Book
ISBN 9780593097106 | World of Eric Carle
Join The Very Busy Spider and all her friends in this spooky lift-the-flap board book! With a lift-flap on every spread, this sturdy case bound board book has all the tricks to make it a perfect Halloween treat for beginning readers! Say “Boo” and “Happy Halloween” with some of Eric Carle’s most beloved characters, including The Very Hungry Caterpillar and The Very Busy Spider.
How Big Could Your Pumpkin Grow?
By Wendell Minor
32 Pages | Ages 0-3 | Board Book
ISBN 9780593108215 | Nancy Paulsen
Every year, giant pumpkin contests take place at fairs across the country – the 2012 record-holder weighed over a ton! The latest craze is to carve the most enormous pumpkins into racing boats. But what’s next? Why not think really big? Award-winning artist Wendell Minor does just that as he imagines larger-than-life pumpkins decorating some of America’s favorite places – as immense as the Capitol dome, Mount Rushmore, the Brooklyn Bridge, even the Grand Canyon! This celebration of famous landmarks and landscapes plays with concepts of size and scale and is full of fun facts.
How to Scare a Ghost
By Jean Reagan
Illustrated by Lee Wildish
26 Pages | Ages 0-3 | Board Book
ISBN 9781984848680 | Knopf BFYR
Who says ghosts get to have all the fun on Halloween? In this humorous new addition to Jean Reagan and Lee Wildish’s bestselling How to . . . books, the kids are in charge! But in order to scare a ghost, you might have to find one first. Guided by a tongue-in-cheek instructional style, two children show young readers how to set the stage for a spooktacular Halloween by carving pumpkins, playing games, and even reading scary stories. Has a ghost showed up? Great! Now the fun – er, the scaring – can really begin. Filled with charming role-reversal humor, creative ideas, and lots of holiday spirit, How to Scare a Ghost is sure to delight kids, parents, and things that go bump in the night.
Peter Rabbit Tales: A Pumpkin for Peter
By Beatrix Potter
16 Pages | Ages 3-5 | Board Book
ISBN 9780241358757 | Frederick Warne
It’s a wild, autumnal afternoon and the Rabbit family are on their way to collect a pumpkin. As the Rabbit family walk through the woods, Cotton-tail, Flopsy and Mopsy might be scared of the stormy trees, and the sound of owls, and the snap of a twig, but Peter is definitely not scared. Not even a little bit. A sweet story about friendship, and a gentle message about facing fears of the dark. This charming Halloween tale has a reassuring ending, with beautiful illustrations.
Where’s the Witch?
Illustrated by Ingela P. Arrhenius
10 Pages | Ages 0-3 | Board Book
ISBN 9781536207538 | Nosy Crow
Gently spooky creatures hide behind bright felt flaps in this Halloween offering. A perfect book to share with very little ones. Five stylishly illustrated spreads show a series of gently spooky creatures hiding behind bright felt flaps in this Halloween offering. A mirror on the final spread makes for a satisfying ending to the book’s search-and-find inquiries. A perfect book to share with very little ones.
Check out our #HalloweenAtHome page for more ideas to celebrate, including bookish costumes, ideas, and activities!