14 New Halloween Books for 2023
I love new Halloween book releases, and this list is full of sweet and spooky Halloween stories. If you’d like a printable copy of this list of Halloween stories that you can take to your library or screenshot on your phone for easy access, just pop in your email address below and it’ll come right to your inbox!
One of my favorite Halloween posts for the past few years has been doing a round-up of newly released Halloween picture books.
You can see the 2022 list here and the 2021 list here.
And now?
It’s time for the list of 2023 Halloween picture books!
These are all books that have been released this year and I hope you’ll love adding a few to your personal collection, checking them out at the library and having some fun Halloween stories to read together!
14 New Halloween Books for 2023
A Super Scary Narwhalloween by Ben Clanton
I was most delighted to see this one released because we LOVE Narwhal & Jelly at our house. This isn’t technically a picture book (it’s a beginning graphic novel), but what’s the point of having your own blog if you can’t break the rules every now and again? This one is a delight and the audio is also terrific with a full cast, original music and sound effects (and it’s under $4!)
How to Spook a Ghost by Sue Fliess
This cute Halloween picture book follows a group of friends who are getting ready to go trick-or-treating and get some good costumes together, including a ghost costume. Then, when they’re out in the neighborhood, they meet a REAL ghost who hopes to join their friendly crew. The back of the book has a lot of information about the background of Halloween and some of the classic traditions like pumpkin carving, making it a great well-rounded Halloween story!
The Boo Crew Needs YOU by Vicky Fang
I always love an interactive picture book (I have a big list of favorites here!) and when it’s an interactive Halloween picture book? Well sign me right up! This one is darling with lots of things to tap, turn, and say as the Boo Crew tries to make their way to the Monster Ball.
First Night of Howlergarten by Benson Shum
Sophie is ready for her first night of Howlergarten but she’s also pretty nervous – what if she doesn’t turn into a werewolf like her parents during the full moon? As she meets new friends, she starts to feel a little more comfortable that she’ll be part of the pack whether or not she transforms by the light of the moon.
The Light Inside by Dan Misdea
This Halloween book is so cute! It’s tiny (six inches by six inches) and it’s completely wordless. It follows a young jack-o-lantern is pretty timid but when his beloved stuffed animal is blown away in a breeze, he’ll stop at nothing to get him back, even if it means facing a cat, skeleton, and witch. I love this one!
Meowl-o-ween by Diane Muldrow
I love this new Halloween book with vivid colors and vibrant illustrations about the cats coming out on Halloween to watch the trick-or-treaters. Things get a bit scary for one tiny kitten when it’s separated from the rest of the group and its mother cat, but all’s well that ends well on Halloween night.
Skeletown: Sí. ¡No! by Rhode Montijo
This picture book has only three colors – black, white and orange/red. Even better? It only has two words – Si and No! When Skully and Skelly attend a party, things start to get a little out of hand when a bike becomes part of the entertainment. But despite a crash, things turn out all right in the end, both with the bike and the two main characters. I loved this book and can’t wait to see more in the series!
Bruce and the Legend of Soggy Hollow by Ryan T. Higgins
You probably already know and love Bruce from the previous books and this Halloween one is a delightful addition to the series. Bruce, to no one’s surprise, does NOT like Halloween. But when the mice round up a bunch of friends for a Halloween production of the Legend of Soggy Hollow, Bruce gets roped in to playing a major part. P.S. Check Hoopla for it – it’s available as a read-along which is really fun!
We Planted a Pumpkin by Rob Ramsden
You’ve seen hundreds of jack-o-lanterns for Halloween each year, but this story is a sweet journey through all the work required to GROW that pumpkin so that when Halloween rolls around you can carve it before trick-or-treating.
Every Night at Midnight by Peter Cheong
Every night at midnight, Felix turns into a wolf. He’s fast and sleek but he’s also. . . .lonely. He tries to convince himself that he’s HAPPY being alone but as time goes on, it really starts to wear on him. Until one night, another wolf joins him. The illustrations and color scheme in this book are so great – I was drawn in from the first page!
See the Ghost : Three Stories About Things You Cannot See by David LaRochelle and Mike Wohnoutka
You may already know these easy reader books from David LaRochelle and Mike Wohnoutka (they’ve also done See the Cat: Three Stories About a Dog and See the Dog: Three Stories About a Cat) and I was THRILLED to see a third one released this year that has a Halloween bent, thanks to both a ghost and a fairy. It’s just as silly and clever as you’d expect from the rest of the series and perfect for reading aloud or for a child just getting the hang of independent reading.
10 Things I Love About Halloween by Samantha Sweeney
This Halloween counting book is really simple and sweet about the fun parts of Halloween from picking a pumpkin to a neighborhood Halloween parade. (This is one I’d probably get from the library, rather than buying my own copy, frankly).
Grumpy Monkey Don’t Be Scared by Suzanne Lang and Max Lang
We love Grumpy Monkey books and we were all thrilled to see a new Halloween one join the lineup! Heads up for a few flatulation jokes – if that’s your (or your kids’) humor jam, you’ll probably love this one about a group of jungle friends heading out to find treats on Halloween night.
The Great Zombie Pumpkin Parade! by Robert Burleigh
This one frankly gave me the creeps so if you love a Halloween book that’s more ghoulish than cute, this Halloween book might be for you (but it’s not one I’d buy for my own collection)! On Halloween night, a whole group of Halloween pumpkin heads come to life, zombie style, and march in parade to the graveyard to rest for another year. There’s nothing truly terrifying about it – I just find zombies – even pumpkin head zombies – pretty icky.
And if you’d like a printable copy of this list of Halloween stories that you can take to your library or screenshot on your phone for easy access, just pop in your email address below and it’ll come right to your inbox!
Had two of these checked out already a few on my list to get at the library but added the rest. Thank you!