[Fun] A Collection of Picture Books Featuring Ghosts [Scary]

Last updated:2025/11/7

Nursery Teacher Mom Writertsukada moe
After working for five years at an after-school childcare club and three years at a nursery school, I began working as a freelance writer. I’m a mother of two children. Inspired by playing the flute in the school wind ensemble in elementary school, I joined a jazz club at university. I’ve also incorporated ukulele and piano performance into childcare. Playing, laughing, feeling sad, feeling frustrated—through all kinds of experiences, I want children to grow.

Why is it that ghosts are scary, yet we still catch ourselves thinking, “I kind of want to see one”? In this article, we’ll introduce picture books featuring ghosts that even little kids will find fascinating! Since they’re picture books, the lineup naturally leans toward cute illustrations.

You’re sure to find titles that are perfect even for kids who scare easily.

Some works might even make adults think, “How nostalgic!” That’s how beloved this genre is.

Be sure to read to the end!

[Fun] A roundup of picture books featuring “ghosts” [Scary] (1–10)

A Day in the Ghost Family

amzn.asia

What do you think ghosts usually do? A book that answers this simple question is “A Day in the Ghost Family.” The protagonists are ghost siblings, Sakupee and Taropou.

Centering on the two of them, the story depicts the everyday life of their family, including their mother and father.

A distinctive feature of this book is that the story progresses while comparing the lives of ghosts and humans.

Because of this, it’s structured in a way that makes it easy to feel familiarity and affection for the ghosts.

Also, the pages are filled with illustrations, making it perfect for children who want to enjoy the pictures as the main focus.

Raise the rankinglower

yamamoto

Report a problem

Ghosts galore

amzn.asia

Perfect for children who love cute characters, Zozomaru and the Parade of Ghosts is a delightful choice.

The picture book’s protagonist is Zozomaru, a little ghost.

The story follows him as he gathers his ghost friends and goes out to play.

With a fun new character appearing on each page, kids are sure to enjoy it all the way to the end without getting bored.

Although the characters are ghosts, they’re designed like animated characters, so there’s nothing scary or creepy about them.

Another fun point is that each character lives in an unexpected place.

Raise the rankinglower

yamamoto

Report a problem

Boo! I’m a ghost!

amzn.asia

If you have a young child who’s just learning their letters, I highly recommend Obake dajo.

This is a work by the picture-book duo tupera tupera.

The first thing you notice when you pick up this book is the mysteriously rendered jet-black ghost.

In fact, the book was created by photographing shadow puppets.

The production also cleverly makes use of that pitch-black characteristic.

Plus, the text is minimal, making it perfect for children to practice reading on their own.

Raise the rankinglower

yamamoto

Report a problem

Ghost Train

amzn.asia

Some children may not yet be able to understand complex stories, but still love ghosts.

For them, I recommend Obake Densha (Ghost Train).

This picture book lets you peek into the world of ghosts through a train that runs through their realm, showing the cityscape and how the ghosts live.

There’s very little text, and the illustrations are richly detailed instead.

That means you’ll discover something new each time you read it.

Also, there’s a solid punchline at the end, so keep an eye out for that too.

Raise the rankinglower

yamamoto

Report a problem