Most kids love the excitement of a good fright at this time of year. As the nights draw in and the air turns cold and crisp there's nothing like a frightfully good Halloween book to fire the imagination and give you the chills!
We've taken a look at some of the best books for kids for Halloween 2022 and because we're focussed on art-related content here at Art Grenade, we're exclusively featuring illustrated books, which do tend to be for younger children. There are of course some brilliant books for older children, such as The Worst Witch and the Amelia Fang series too, so if that's of interest to you, we heartily recommend you check those out too!
Haunted House by Jan Pieńkowski
This beautiful pop-up book is a real vintage classic that has stood the test of time! Published in 1980, it was written and illustrated by the incredibly successful and famous illustrator of the Meg and Mog children's books, Jan Pieńkowski, which were written by the late Helen Nicoll.
The pop-up designs are amazing and the illustrations are gorgeously rich and detailed but what we love most about this book is it's incredibly spooky atmosphere. Each double page spread features a different room in the house, giving a different feel and a new surprise every time you turn the page. It's so easy to get lost in the details of each spread - this book really draws you in and is, if you'll pardon the pun, spellbinding!
Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson (Author) and Axel Scheffler (Illustrator)
What can we say about this book that hasn't already been said?! Created by one of the most formidable partnerships in kids' book to ever exist, this book is an absolute classic and has even been made into an animated Christmas special (yes, we know, wrong festival!) by the BBC.
It's a beautiful tale of friendship that can bring a tear to the eye of even the most cold-hearted zombie and is every bit as good as the arguably more famous book The Gruffalo, also created by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. The witch collects a number of new friends while on her travels and in the end her kindness is repaid when she gets into a sticky situation with a dragon - this carries a great message of friendship and charity that kids will instantly understand, which is what ultimately makes this book such a classic and a must-read for kids of all ages.
Five Little Pumpkins by Ben Mantle (Illustrator)
This is a great little book for very young kids - this classic rhyme has been told and retold in a number of variations and there are quite a few illustrated versions on the market too, but we just love Ben Mantle's the most - he's a top-drawer illustrator with a lot of kids' books under his belt. The illustrations are sure to delight adults and kids alike!
Pumpkin Moon by Tim Preston (Author) and Simon Bartram (Illustrator)
This is our absolute favourite in terms of illustrations - Simon Bartram's work is just phenomenal: It evokes perfectly the atmosphere and feel of a good old American Halloween, with trick-or-treating and pumpkin carving being depicted as well as fields of pumpkins growing beneath a cold Autumn (or fall, if you must!) sky. Absolutely perfect. Even more American than apple pie!
Good luck in getting a copy of this book though - it seems to be now out-of-print and only available in used condition but it's well worth hunting out.
Ghosts in the House by Kazuno Kohara
Another book aimed at younger children, this charming story is about a young witch who moves into a haunted house and befriends the ghosts who inhabit it, even putting some of them through the washing machine and using them as curtains!
The illustration style is very bold and simple but completely charming and beautiful and really stands out in this list as a very original book.
The Dinosaur that Pooped Halloween! by Tom Fletcher and Dougie Poynter (Authors) and Garry Parsons (Illustrator)
Of all the things kids love, poop and dinosaurs are always a safe bet. This book forms part of a series of 'The Dinosaur that Pooped Something' books which are all written by the already-famous duo of Tom Fletcher and Dougie Poynter, who you may remember a ex-members of the guitar-pop band McFly.
It's a really funny book and Garry Parsons' illustrations are great too, just don't forget to flush and wash your hands when you've finished!
Thanks for reading this blog post - if we've whetted your appetite for Halloween fun, check out our related post all about the fascinating and fun tradition of pumpkin carving! We've also written a post on some of the best spooky paintings from the world of fine art!
Further Reading
If you want to buy any of the books mentioned in this blog post, we've put the links for them here: