As sweater weather begins to settle in and the leaves begin to change, it’s a great time to find stories that capture the feeling of fall. Whether you’re cuddling under a blanket before bedtime or having story time in the classroom, we’ve found five frightful and delightful picture books for you to enjoy. From witches to pumpkins to costumes and candy, these are some fun and colorful fall- and Halloween-inspired reads perfect for any autumn day.
With a catchy rhyme scheme, beautiful fall colors, and diverse representation, Halloween is Coming is the perfect fall-time read for families or classrooms. This story perfectly captures all the fun that the fall season has to bring leading up to Halloween including pumpkin picking, hayrides, costume parades, and trick-or-treating. When reading this aloud, see if you can spot the fun Halloween creatures like a mummy, Frankenstein’s Monster, and trolls hidden on the pages.
Curly Locks’ recipes may not be for the average person with her unusual ingredients such as toad eyes and batwings. When Scares terrorize and take over the mayor’s house, everyone in town is too scared to capture them, but Curly Locks steps in. She isn’t scared and knows just what can stop them — a warm bowl of Boo Stew. Boo Stew is the perfect spooky season read with lots of heart and giggles. With its swampy setting and a little girl who loves to cook, this story will be a delightful read for fans of The Princess and the Frog (2009).
Take an adventure through the countryside and count pumpkins, cats, wolves, and scarecrows. Halloween staples are presented in cool, watercolor pictures with a gothic cartoon art style that creates a creepy yet adorable feel as you read. After you go on the counting journey, all the creatures you meet along the way come together for a party. Be sure to pick up this book for both a fun read and an educational adventure.
Told from the perspective of a child, If Your Babysitter is a Bruja is a fun story that describes how children should be wary if they get a new babysitter close to Halloween because she just might well be … a witch. She has ways to lure the children into a bath, but be careful because that just might be her cauldron. You can’t escape her because she will find a way to fly. For a fun, colorful, and bilingual read, pick up a copy of If Your Babysitter is a Bruja.
Featuring your favorite colorful cast from The Day the Crayons Quit, The Crayons Trick or Treat is the perfect Halloween read. This time, the crayons are dressed up in their color-appropriate costumes, of course … except Beige. They’re going door-to-door looking for candy just as anyone else would on Halloween night, except they don’t know what they’re supposed to say after they knock. Follow these hilarious crayons as they try to figure out what they’re supposed to say when asking for candy on Halloween night!
PRR Outreach Lead and Writer, Taylor Quinn