1. It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
2. Scary, Scary Halloween
3. Where is Baby’s Pumpkin?
4. What’s Under My Bed
5. Corduroy’s Halloween
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October is a time of the year when little ones are eager to have fun at a pumpkin patch, help carve Jack O’ Lanterns, and tell you with great enthusiasm what character they want to dress up as for Halloween. All in preparation for a holiday that creates imaginative worlds and ideas for children to have some spookiness in a fun manner.
Halloween can be so thrilling for young children, as it brings out a creative outlet for everyone as costumes are prepared, houses and windows are decorated, and theme-inspired treats are prepared with the assistance of tiny chefs. This creativity has inspired many authors to tell delightfully curious and spooky tales for Halloween season. The five books below will keep your little ones’ imaginations busy during story time this fall.
By reading, you are also helping children to:
- Expand their vocabulary
- Ask questions and provide answers about what happens next in the story
- Participate in the joy of storytelling as they explore surreal stories that encourage imagination
- Become acquainted with fall and the activities they may participate in during the season
Use the “Spooky Meter” below to check if each book is right for your audience:
Level 1 – Not one bit spooky
Level 2 – Very mildly spooky
Level 3 – A few spooky themes
1. It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
By Kara McMahon and Charles M. Schulz
Ages: 3 and up
Spooky Level: 1
This great classic introduces young children to the beloved group of cartoon characters who share a great anticipation for the Halloween season with joy and an untraditional way of celebrating. There’s fun and a bit of mischief in the process.
2. Scary, Scary Halloween
By Eve Bunting
Ages: 4 and up
Spooky level: 3
A great way to practice linguistic skills such as rhyming, alliteration, and imaginative storytelling. The book tells the Halloween story in a mysterious and beautifully presented manner that creates a sense of expectation about “what will happen next!” The illustrations are also very nice, interesting visuals – a very relatable tale.
3. Where is Baby’s Pumpkin?
By Karen Katz
Ages: 1 – 4
Spooky Level: 1
Lift-the-flap books are an engaging manner to introduce infants and toddlers to story time. This Halloween version is cute, has vibrant colors, and its tone is short and sweet as little fingers discover what surprise is under the flap and when they turn the page as baby searches for her pumpkin.
4. What’s Under My Bed
By James Stevenson
Ages: 3 and up
Spooky Level: 2
Children discover a ghostly world thanks to their grandpa’s wild imagination of the things that go bump in the night at their house. But don’t get too scared! As this book shows that things are not always what they seem in the dark when the light shines on them.
5. Corduroy’s Halloween
By B.G. Hennessy
Ages: 2 – 5
Spooky Level: 1
Another lift-the-flap book, but with more involved storytelling as Corduroy prepares for the Halloween season through a series of fun activities with his neighborhood friends. It gives children a variety of environments and situations to engage them as they may prepare through similar activities in their own lives.
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