A picture book with a Halloween theme. Popular picture books you’ll want to read aloud.
Before Halloween arrives in October, you probably want to teach your child what Halloween is.
But explaining it in words can be quite difficult.
That’s where Halloween picture books come in handy.
There are many options: books that explain what Halloween is, stories featuring lots of friendly ghosts, and books with a mysterious, slightly spooky atmosphere.
Choose according to your child’s age and interests, and show them that Halloween is fun.
A Halloween-themed picture book. Popular picture books you’ll want to read aloud (1–10)
Weird? Halloween
The Cabin Company, a picture book creator duo behind numerous masterpieces, presents a unique take on Halloween in their work “Okashina Halloween.” The story follows children dressed up as ghosts who receive treats from a grandmother.
A fun twist is that the treats differ depending on each child’s costume.
And at the end, there’s a shocking punchline waiting for you.
No spoilers here—please check it out for yourself.
You and your child are sure to be surprised together!
Ghost Party
Everyone has their own image of what ghosts are like.
But once you read “Ghost Party,” you’ll surely find yourself wishing a world like this really existed.
As the title suggests, it’s a story about a party thrown by ghosts.
The ghosts eat all sorts of dishes, and each time, something happens.
The main character is a playful, adorable ghost, making it easy to empathize with.
By the way, for kids who love monsters, the sequel “The Ghost Goes to Loch Ness” is also recommended.
Haunted Mansion
If you’re looking for a classic crowd-pleaser with both laughs and tears, I recommend The Haunted Apartment Building.
Set in an apartment complex inhabited by ghosts, the story features quirky characters that will make you chuckle, like a toothless Dracula and a mummy who’s short on bandages for his upper body.
With elements of adventure and surprising twists, it’s crafted to be enjoyable for both adults and children.
In fact, this is the first book in a popular series that has 35 sequels.
If you’re interested, be sure to check it out!
A big pumpkin
What kind of costume are you thinking of wearing for Halloween? Anime characters are popular, but the classics are probably the traditional ones.
That’s why I’d like to introduce “The Big Pumpkin.” It’s essentially a Halloween version of “The Giant Turnip.” Instead of a grandfather trying to pull it out, it starts with a witch.
Then Dracula, a mummy, and others join in.
Thanks to that, you can get to know a lineup of classic characters with a nice, lively rhythm.
Today is Halloween.
Halloween culture is gradually taking root in Japan, isn’t it? However, there may not be many people who know what Halloween is really like in the United States, where it originated.
That’s why I’d like to introduce the picture book Today Is Halloween.
It tells the story of a boy who moves to America and experiences his first Halloween.
It also includes practical tips you can actually use, such as how to make a jack-o’-lantern.
After you finish reading, why not use this book as a guide and enjoy an American-style Halloween yourself?
Before the ice cream melts (a series for the family’s Halloween)
One of the delights of Halloween is costumes.
It’s fun both to dress up and to see other people’s costumes.
A book that’s packed with that Halloween charm is Ice Cream Before It Melts (A Cycle for a Family Halloween).
It’s a story about a boy who enjoys dressing up with his family on Halloween.
Throughout the book, you can enjoy a wide variety of costumes.
It’s also well known as a picture book that moves adult readers to tears.
The “ice cream” in the title is a metaphor for the time of childhood—in other words, a message that children will eventually grow up, and the time when they were children will melt away.
Trick or treat!
Centered on the theme of Halloween culture unique to Japan, author Shimako Okamura created a picture book titled Trick or Treat.
The book has two distinctive features.
First, it depicts scenes of Halloween as commonly seen in Japan.
Accordingly, the story follows children going around their neighborhood collecting sweets.
There are also amusing scenes where they receive treats from some unusual characters.
Second, the book glows in the dark.
So if you read it at night, you can enjoy an immersive Halloween atmosphere.
Happy Halloween!
Many picture books put the spotlight on the kids who go from house to house collecting treats.
But there are also a few that flip the perspective.
One of those is “Happy Halloween.” In this book, each page is designed like a front door, and the story is about welcoming various costumed characters who come knocking.
Naturally, the visitors are full of personality, so it’s fun right up to the end.
What’s more, the book includes a special feature that lets readers dress up and become a little ghost themselves.
Be sure to enjoy it together with your child!
Halloween, a heart-throbbing day of ghosts!
It’s something we tend to forget as adults, but Halloween is supposed to be scary and thrilling, isn’t it? That feeling is the theme of the picture book “The Heart-Pounding Ghost Day of Halloween.” The protagonist is a timid boy who meets a ghost that’s just as scared as he is, and they become friends.
Together, they team up to stand up to a bully.
With its elements of friendship, the ending is sure to be moving.
And while it’s a fantasy, it’s packed with practical tips you can use in real life, like simple costume ideas.
Halloween! Halloween!
Toshio Nishimura is a popular picture book author.
His first work themed around Halloween is Halloween Halloween.
The story follows the main character, who dresses up with friends and goes to Grandma’s house to get treats.
At first glance it may sound familiar, but the friends are actually quite unique.
Be sure to check out which friends wear what costumes.
With its charming illustrations, you’re sure to enjoy it with a warm heart.