Heading into the Halloween season, here are some books that set tone for festivities. All synopses are italicized and in blue. They have been provided by the publishers. Reviews are by Jessica.
AGES 2 AND UP
BIG PUMPKIN, by Erica Silverman and S.D. Schindler, Aladdin, July 15, 2025, Hardcover, $19.99 (ages 2-5)
A series of spooky creatures attempt to move a giant pumpkin—only for the smallest of them to succeed—in this not-so-scary Halloween classic now available in a refreshed edition.
The witch has grown the biggest pumpkin ever, and now she wants to make herself a pumpkin pie for Halloween. But the pumpkin is so big she can’t get it off the vine. It’s so big the ghost can’t move it either. Neither can the vampire, nor the mummy.
It looks as if there’ll be no pumpkin pie for Halloween, until along comes the bat with an idea to save the day. How can the tiny bat succeed where bigger and strong spooky creatures have failed? You’d be surprised! —Synopsis provided by Aladdin
First published in 1992, this new hardback edition features the same classic story and illustrations. It’s a funny, charming and somewhat gentle look at some characters that are usually scary.
AGES 3 AND UP
WITCH CAT, by Lucy Rowland and Laura Hughes, Bloomsbury Children’s Books, July 22, 2025, Hardcover, $19.99 (ages 3-5)
Pippin has always been a witch’s cat . . . But he can’t help but wonder if there’s more to life!
Setting out boldly by the light of the moon, Pippin tries out the life of a pirate’s cat (too much water!), a knight’s cat (too many dragons!), and a pet cat (too many ribbons!).
Nothing feels quite right and Pippin wonders if he’s doing something wrong . . .
Until he realizes that maybe he’s meant to be a witch’s cat after all! —Synopsis provided by Bloomsbury Children’s Books
A sweet cat goes on adventure only to learn that he belongs right where he started. With delightful rhymes and dynamic illustrations, this is a book kids will want to read all year long.
GRIZELDA THE GREEN HATES HALLOWEEN, by A.A. Livingston, Katya Longhi, Flamingo Books, July 22, 2025, Hardcover, $14.99 (ages 3-6)
Meet Grizelda the Green. She’s a grouchy old witch and she absolutely, positively, HATES Halloween! So, this year, she’s cooked up a plan to end the holiday once and for all. But both she and the trick-or-treaters are in for some surprises that will make this the most memorable Halloween ever! —Synopsis provided by Flamingo Books
This rhyming picture book follows a cranky witch as she changes her tune about Halloween, and learns the magic is the best part. This silly read features friendly illustrations and rhythmic text.
CHICKA CHICKA TRICKA TREAT, by Julien Chung, Beach Lane Books, July 15, 2025, Hardcover, $19.99 (ages 4-8)
It’s Halloween in this companion to the beloved and bestselling classic Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, and there’s a spooky surprise in store for everyone’s favorite letters!
A told B,
and B told C,
“Let’s sneak to the top
of the creaky old tree.”
The classic alphabet chant gets a Halloween twist as the letters sneak their way up the tree, all donning their spiffiest costumes. But when a witch swoops in, and the letters come tumbling down, will that be the end of their Halloween fun…or just the beginning? —Synopsis provided by Beach Lane Books
This Halloween version of the popular Chicka Chicka series is delightful. The letters have personality, and the simple illustrations are effective. The publisher’s suggested age range for this book is 4 to 8, but given that many kids start learning letters at 3, I suggest ages 3-7.
HAP-PEA HALLOWEEN (THE PEAS SERIES), by Keith Baker, Beach Lane Books, July 15, 2025, Hardcover, $9.99 (ages 3-6)
Keith Baker’s New York Times bestselling peas celebrate Halloween in this picture book filled with kids’ favorite parts of spooky season!
It’s Halloween, and that means plenty of frightful fun for everyone’s favorite pea pals! Costumes and candy await in this treat of a Halloween tale. —Synopsis provided by Beach Lane Books
This is a fun addition to The Pea Series by Kieth Baker. Rhyming text and his trade-mark illustrations focus mainly on costumes and pumpkins.
THE HAUNTED SCAVENGER HUNT: A SPOOK-TACULAR STORYBOOK, by Steve Patschke and Roland Garrigue, Templar, July 8, 2025, Hardcover, $15.99 (ages 3-7)
When four friends find a mysterious box with the message “Don’t look at it, don’t touch it, don’t open it!”, they decide that they have to know what’s inside. And so they end up on a haunted Halloween scavenger hunt that leads them to the basement of a spooky house. But one by one, a friend slips away as the group gets closer to discovering the mystery behind the clues. Will they be able to reach the surprise at the end? —Synopsis provided by Templar
This humorous picture book plays off the old adage that if you tell a kid to not do something, they’re going to do the opposite. Spooky, but not too scary illustrations add the perfect amount of atmosphere for this fun read.
AGES 4 AND UP
BEVERLEY, BAT YOUR SERVICE, by Kelly Collier, Atheneum Books for Young Readers, Aug. 26, 2025, Hardcover, $19.99 (ages 4-8)
Beverley the Bat loves having guests at his big, old house—or he would, if anyone ever stopped by. Then one day a human family moves in. Beverley rolls out the welcome mat by filling the house with eau de rotten egg (Grandma’s favorite), cooking delicious Bolognese de millipede for dinner, and thoughtfully shredding the clothes the family brought to make comfy nests.
But for some reason the humans don’t seem to appreciate Beverley’s gestures. How can the little bat become the host with the most? —Synopsis provided by Atheneum Books for Young Readers
This is a cute story about a bat who doesn’t quite understand what humans consider comfortable. This humorous look at what a bat finds wonderful sets just the right tone for the Halloween season.
ZOMBIE AND BRAIN ARE FRIENDS, by Stephanie V.W. Lucianovic, Laan Cham, Bloomsbury Children’s Books, Sept. 2, 2025, Hardcover, $18.99 (ages 4-8)
Zeb comes from a family of farmers-zombie farmers. Each week they pickle, bake, fry, and sell their grain-fed, free-range brains to be enjoyed by the masses. Zeb understands that brains are food, not pets…until one day he comes across the tiniest, pinkest, squishiest brain he ever did see! Can he convince his parents that his brainy bestie is better off as a member of the family than family dinner? —Synopsis provided by Bloomsbury Children’s Books
What happens when you fall in love with the very thing you’re raising to eat? Zombie Zeb finds out when he makes a brain his pet. This charming story takes the scary out of a Halloween staple. It’s a sweet tale that will be a fun read beyond the season.
A MONSTER’S MEAL: A LIFT-THE-FLAP PICTURE BOOK, by Meritxell Martí, Xavier Salomó, Harry N. Abrams, Aug. 5, 2025, Hardcover, $16.99 (ages 4-8)
You’re invited to the annual feast for fiends! Up on a rocky hill lies The Rotten Core Restaurant, where monsters from all over have gathered around the dinner table to enjoy the best foods the dastardly chef (and his undead maîtres d’) have to offer.
Lift the plate cover to reveal the terrifyingly tasty meal underneath. For the vampire? Chef’s famous scarlet smoothie and thinly sliced bat wings start the meal, and a few princess necks are a main course that’s to die for! For the witch? Snail-slime porridge, and an apple dipped in black widow venom for dessert!
With 10 sturdy flaps readers can flip up to reveal a ridiculously revolting menu underneath, this picture book is sure to have young readers laughing out loud and eager to curate a monstrous menu of their own! —Synopsis provided by Harry N. Abrams
This lift-the-flap book isn’t your standard interactive book. Under those flaps are gross meals that will hit the spot with this audience. It’s the type of book I can see getting regularly checked out from the library while parents gently roll their eyes.
LUNA AND THE WITCH THROW A HALLOWEEN PARTY, by Aubrey Plaza, Dan Murphy, Hannah Peck, Viking Books for Young Readers, July 29, 2025, Hardcover, $19.99 (ages 4-8)
Luna Lopez wants to be a witch.
Pheenie the witch wants to throw a Halloween party.
Together this unlikely pair strikes a deal: If Luna helps her pull off the best, most spectacular soiree in the neighborhood, Pheenie will teach her the secrets to her potions and spells.
There’s only one problem: Getting this party on track is harder than Luna expected. She’ll have to curb every one of the frazzled witch’s creepy, crawly instincts to make sure the evening is full of both tricks and treats . . . and not a festive flop! —Synopsis provided by Viking Books for Young Readers
This quirky read shows the softer side of witches. This humor-laced read features exciting illustrations with lots of movement.
THIS YEAR, A WITCH! by Zoey Abbott, Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books, July 15, 2025, Hardcover, $19.99 (ages 4-8)
A little girl has been every adorable thing you can imagine for Halloween, and she is done with being cuddly, sweet, and precious. This year, she’s rebelling big-time and going for a totally different vibe: the spookiest thing out there. She’s going to be…a witch!
With only a little help from Dad, she works hard on her witchy locks, brew, spells and enchantments, and power to petrify. But what happens when what she sees in the mirror is so spooky, she scares even herself? Nothing that an understanding dad—and maybe a quick restorative nap—can’t handle. —Synopsis provided by Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books
As a parent of a little girl who decided that “adorable” was awful and truly took it to heart, this book spoke to me. And it will resonate with young readers who are experiencing the same feelings. It’s imaginative with a touch of humor and unique illustrations with lots of movement.
THE ZOMBEES, by Justin Colón and Kaly Quarles, Simon & Schuster, July 15, 2025, Hardcover, $19.99 (ages 4-8)
A swarm of zombie bees invades an unsuspecting town on Halloween night in this spooky picture book from the author of The Quacken.
What’s that creepy buzzing sound coming from the graveyard ground?
ZOMBEES!
When these undead insects invade, they send everyone fleeing in fright.
Are they hunting for a snack?
Do they like the taste of veins?
Have they come to eat your brains?!
Find out in this rhyming Halloween tale with an unexpected twist! —Synopsis provided by Simon & Schuster
This rhythmic Halloween read is so much fun to read aloud. The bouncy text and silly — and slightly creepy — illustrations make this one fun for the entire family.
TO CATCH A GHOST, by Rachel Michelle Wilson, Orchard Books, July 1, 2025, Hardcover, $19.99 (ages 4-8)
Show-and-tell isn’t for the faint of heart, so grab your camera, flashlight, and backpack — it’s time to catch yourself a ghost! Once you find a good one, spend some quality time together. This will provide all the information you need to build the perfect ghost trap. It will also probably complicate things. So, when the moment finally arrives, you may be confident you can catch a ghost…but can you catch a friend?
A ghostly good tale about the high stakes of show-and-tell, unexpected friendships, and accepting the unknown. —Synopsis provided by Orchard Books
This humorous “ghost story” plays to a child’s sense of humor and dogged determination. Simple and effective illustrations bring the story to life.
SCARY SHARK: A JAW-SOME HALLOWEEN, by Mike Lowery, Orchard Books, July 1, 2025, Hardcover, $15.99 (ages 4-8)
Edgar the Shark and his best friend Lotta team up once more in this hilarious Halloween tale! It’s Halloween night, and Edgar the Shark is frightened of all the scary creatures floating just outside his window. Luckily, his best friend Lotta is there to show him Halloween is just a day to pretend to be scary. Together they carve jack- o-lanternfish, hang magni-fish-ent decorations, and choose the pretend-scariest costumes they can think of! But will that be enough to help Edgar prove he’s not a scaredy-catfish? —Synopsis provided by Orchard Books
This stylized picture book tackles common Halloween fears through in-your-face illustrations and humor.
AGES 6 AND UP
THE SECRET WORLD OF SPIDERWEBS, by Jan Beccaloni, Namasri Niumim, Thames & Hudson, Sept. 30, 2025, Hardcover, $19.95 (ages 6-9)
Despite their familiarity, spiderwebs are drastically underappreciated, and without them, the world as we know it would be overrun by insects. From classic orb webs and spectacular tent webs to hidden trapdoor webs and water webs that attach to the surface of a flowing river, The Secret World of Spiderwebs reveals the incredibly diverse ways spiders catch their prey.
The book explores how and why spiders build webs and features close to fourteen kinds of webs made by spiders from many different environments around the world. Revealing the artistry of these incredible natural structures, this book brings to life the spider-created natural wonders that are essential to life on earth.
Featuring foil-stamped illustrations that accentuate the intricacy of spider-web designs, The Secret World of Spiderwebs is a remarkable, beautiful, and spine-tingling tribute to spiders.
Illustrated in color throughout. —Synopsis provided by Thames & Hudson
At this time of year, people often think of spiders along with other spooky creatures. This book is perfect for kids who want a little more from the nonfiction side of things. Intricate illustrations are paired with interesting and informative text. This would be a great addition to any home or school library.
GHOULIA AND THE SUNKEN SECRET (BOOK #5), by Barbara Cantini, Amulet Books, Sept. 30, 2025, Hardcover, $12.99 (ages 6-9)
Halloween is approaching which means it’s time for the annual parade! Between carving pumpkins and enjoying fresh pumpkin juice, Ghoulia and her friends realize they need to find the perfect costume.
While rummaging through the attic for hats, masks, and capes, they stumble upon an old memory box. Inside are trinkets, old photographs, and a faded postcard—from Ghoulia’s parents! They embarked on a voyage long ago but never returned from their trip. Where could they have possibly ended up?
It’s time to put on some sleuthing gear; finding out will require detective skills and a lot of imagination! With the help of her faithful dog Tragedy, cousin Dilbert, and all her friends, Ghoulia sets on a journey to crack open the titanic mystery of her parents’ whereabouts . . . before the trail gets too cold! —Synopsis provided by Amulet Books
This is the fifth book in the full-color Ghoulia chapter book series. And though it is a series, the books can be read out of order. This Tim Burton-inspired series features a not-so-scary zombie and her friends and family. The illustrations in these books are fantastic and the text accessible to readers moving into chapter books
Copyright © 2025 Cracking the Cover. Unless otherwise noted, all books — digital and physical — have been provided by publishers in exchange for honest and unbiased reviews. All thoughts and opinions are those of the reviewer.
