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.
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- Anime songs to listen to on Halloween: Theme and insert songs from anime about yokai and ghosts
- When it comes to Halloween songs, this is the one! A special feature on Japanese tracks that hype up the karaoke crowd
- [Yutori Generation] Looking back on nostalgic Halloween songs and memorable tracks
A Halloween-themed picture book. Popular read-aloud picture books (11–20)
Hide-and-Seek at Halloween
If you’re looking for a picture book that even very young children can enjoy without getting bored, “Halloween Hide-and-Seek” is perfect.
This picture book has a slightly unusual structure.
When you open it, the left page is in color, and the right page is cut out in the shape of something.
Then, when you turn the page, the two sides overlap and something appears.
It’s set up like a quiz where you guess what it is.
Another point that keeps it engaging is that the questions get harder as you move toward the latter half, and elements for learning English are introduced as well.
What is Halloween?
Some children don’t really know what Halloween is to begin with.
In such cases, reading “What Is Halloween?” aloud is perfect.
While it’s a picture book, it’s packed with basic knowledge about Halloween.
Children can learn all kinds of things, from the origin of the word “Halloween” to how to dress up in costumes and how to decorate a room.
It also has a proper story, designed to naturally spark interest in Halloween.
Why not use this picture book to share the fun of Halloween?
Ghost Train
For young children who can’t yet follow complex stories, “Obake Densha” (Ghost Train) is recommended.
This picture book has relatively few words and is designed to let readers mainly enjoy the illustrations.
It portrays the scenery seen from the train windows in a world of ghosts.
There are surreal elements that adults can enjoy as well.
Another highlight is the twist ending that appears only at the very end.
I encourage you to pick it up and see for yourself what kind of views are depicted from the train windows.
Lots more fun Halloween!
Do you know the “Flap-and-Learn Picture Book” series? It’s a set of educational picture books, and titles like “Fun with Multiplication” are well known.
Among them, the one I recommend is “Even More Fun: A Halloween Full of Surprises.” It’s a picture book created to teach children about Halloween.
Why do we celebrate Halloween? Is Halloween the same all over the world? It’s packed with facts even adults might not know.
Be sure to explore Halloween together with your child.
Halloween peekaboo!
Many children get bored just listening to stories.
That’s why I recommend the picture book series “Lift the Felt Flaps,” especially the title Halloween Peekaboo.
In this book, parts of each page are made of felt, and children can lift the flaps to see what’s hidden underneath.
In this particular title, various monsters are hiding behind the felt.
This keeps kids engaged.
Plus, all the ghosts in the story are adorably designed, so it’s perfect even for very young children.
Halloween Guests
Some of you may be looking for a heartwarming picture book that’s perfect for Halloween.
In that case, I’d like to introduce Halloween no Okyakusama (The Halloween Guest).
The protagonist is Oliver the ghost.
He gathers his fellow ghosts to throw a party on Halloween.
However, a human child accidentally slips in among them, and that’s where the story begins.
There are a few nail-biting moments, but the ending is truly moving.
And after you finish reading, you’re sure to become a fan of Oliver.
How to Make Friends with a Ghost
Many children probably find Halloween difficult because they’re scared of ghosts.
That’s why I’d like to introduce How to Become Friends with a Ghost.
The title alone is intriguing, isn’t it? This book is like a bible that sums up ways to get along with ghosts.
Of course, it’s written with a humorous, laugh-out-loud touch.
After reading it, you might even find ghosts a lot less scary.
Also, be sure to check out the moving story that explores the theme of friendship between ghosts and humans.
Let’s go to the haunted house.
If your child loves ghosts and monsters, I highly recommend Let’s Go to the Ghost House.
It’s a picture book that takes you on a tour like a haunted house, introducing a variety of ghosts and monsters.
Alongside well-known creatures like werewolves and gremlins, it also features more niche monsters such as Arachne.
By the way, there’s also a book in the same series that focuses on Japanese yokai, titled Let’s Go to the Haunted House.
I hope you’ll read them together and enjoy noticing the differences between Japan and the rest of the world.
Halloween lamp
“The Halloween Lamp” is a work whose beautiful illustrations are especially eye-catching.
Its content is a touch more mature.
The protagonist, a young girl, tries to make a jack-o’-lantern, but she’s clumsy and can’t get it right.
Seeing her friend make a good lantern, she grows jealous and plays a mean trick.
Then, by a strange turn of events, she wanders into the world of ghosts.
It’s a story that not only teaches about Halloween, but also imparts moral lessons.
Halloween teddy bear
The Kuma-chan series features lively adventures of a pair of uniquely charming bear siblings.
In fact, there’s also a Halloween-themed title in the series.
It’s called “Halloween Kuma-chan,” and it follows the bears as they dress up in costumes and go out.
The costumes—pirates, princesses, and other fun themes—are part of the appeal.
By the way, there aren’t any ghosts in the story, so even children who dislike scary things can read it with confidence.
And if you enjoy this book, I hope you’ll read the entire series.