Over the last few Halloweens, I have put together book lists with spooky and fun picture books and board books perfect for celebrating and enjoying Halloween. Before I get to amalgamating and posting a master list, I wanted to share my thoughts on one recently read picture book title as well as share a list of some new and re-discovered board books and picture books that I think would make for great seasonal reading.

First up is a title courtesy of partner Penguin Random House Canada/Candlewick Press, featuring Peppa Pig in a new seasonal adventure called Peppa Pig and the Halloween Costume. The story begins with Peppa noting: “I love trick-or-treating…and jack-o’-lanterns. And I love dressing up!”. While brother George is, as expected, going to be a dinosaur for Halloween, Peppa has a box full of costume possibilities. She imagines herself as a pirate, a clown, a nurse, a witch, and more…but all of her ideas for what to dress up as come to rather crashing halts as she discovers friends and family have already claimed those costumes. If you’re familiar with Peppa, you know that a big Peppa frown (which always makes me chuckle) is usually on its way when things go a little south, and readers do indeed get to see it. However, Peppa recuperates, “think and thinks”, and comes up with a clever solution that kids will definitely appreciate and admire. Peppa Pig and the Halloween Costume is a story that very much keeps with what fans of Peppa Pig have come to expect and appreciate about the franchise: the same cheery, accessible, sometimes goofy, comical nature of the stories and the happy discoveries and solutions that follow. As with the hardcover picture book Peppa Pig and the Little Train, the dust jacket of Peppa Pig and the Halloween Costume removes and becomes a fun colouring poster (see picture below)!

As promised, here are some other great titles- some spooky, some fun, some very sweet and not spooky at all, and one beautiful board book celebrating Día de los Muertos- to add to your seasonal reading list:

Mary Who Wrote Frankenstein by Linda Bailey, illus. Júlia Sardà (recently reviewed here!)
Sir Simon: Super Scarer by Cale Atkinson (recently reviewed here!)
She Made a Monster: How Mary Shelley Created Frankenstein by Lynn Fulton, illus. Felicita Sala (recently reviewed here!)

How to Make Friends With a Ghost by Rebecca Green

Little Red by Bethan Woollvin
The Darkest Dark by Chris Hadfield, illus. The Fan Brothers
Hortense and the Shadow by Natalia O’Hara, illus. Lauren O’Hara
The Insomniacs by Karina Wolf, illus. The Brothers Hilts
Bear’s Scare by Jacob Grant
The Great AAA-Ooo! by Jonny Lambert
The Halloween Kid by Rhode Montijo
The Little Barbarian by Renato Moriconi
Stumpkin by Lucy Ruth Cummins
The Wolf, the Duck, and the Mouse by Mac Barnett, illus. Jon Klassen
Under-the-Bed Fred by Linda Bailey, illus. Colin Jack (please note that this is an early chapter book)
What Makes a Monster? Discovering the World’s Scariest Creatures (The World of Weird Animals) by Jess Keating, illus. David DeGrand (please note that this is children’s non-fiction)
Día de los Muertos (Celebrate the World) by Hannah Eliot, illus. Jorge Gutierrez (board book)
Good Night, Little Monsters by Kara LaReau, illus. Brian Won (board book)
Halloween ABC by Jannie Ho (board book)
Spooky House (Lift-the-Flap Tab) by Roger Priddy (board book)
Boo! A Book of Spooky Surprises (My Little World) by Jonathan Litton, illus. Fhiona Galloway (board book)
You Are My Pumpkin by Joyce Wan (board book)
Haunted Halloween by Sue Fliess, illus. Jay Fleck (board book)
If You’re Spooky and You Know It by Aly Fronis, illus. Jannie Ho (board book)
Seeking a Witch by Angela Diterlizzi, illus. Allie Smith (board book)
Five Silly Ghosts with art by Hilli Kushnir (board book)
That’s Not My Witch… by Fiona Watt (board book)
Dracula: A BabyLit Counting Primer by Jennifer Adams, art by Alison Oliver (board book)
Frankenstein: A BabyLit Anatomy Primer by Jennifer Adams, art by Alison Oliver (board book)
Sherlock Holmes in the Hound of the Baskervilles: A BabyLit Sounds Primer by Jennifer Adams, art by Alison Oliver (board book)

Happy reading!

I received a copy of Peppa Pig and the Halloween Costume courtesy of Penguin Random House Canada/Candlewick Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and comments are my own.