Top Ten Tuesday: New Halloween Picture Books for 2026
This week was a Halloween freebie week for Top Ten Tuesday. And I’ll be honest, I’m very much behind in my planning, writing, etc. when it comes to the blog, finding some recently published 2026 picture book titles for Halloween was not only the easiest option for me this week, but was also fun to see some authors I love celebrating a fun little holiday! Check out these great read aloud picture books for kids this week as Halloween is right around the corner!
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New Halloween Picture Books for 2026
Cat’s Halloween by Alison Murray
Meet Cat, an adorable grump who thinks Halloween is a nightmare.
He hates the spidery cobwebs. He hates the horrible pumpkins. And he really hates the noisy trick-or-treaters coming to his house.
But when Cat ventures into the night, he learns that the holiday is full of surprises. Maybe Halloween isn’t so terrible–especially when you can spend it with your favorite people.
The Ghost Who Saved Halloween by Jen Anyong, illustrated by Kaly Quarles
Candy has upstaged Ghost on Halloween for far too long. It’s time for Ghost to learn a new trick and treat these kids to a haunt or else the holiday will fall flat like a busted pipe organ. To the tune of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven, this spirited and clever rhyming picture book ideal for Halloween read-alouds is sure to enchant young readers all spooky season long.
Giggling Ghosts! by Fiz Osborne, illustrated by Tim Budgen
These ghosts love scaring! It’s their favorite thing to do, because when they start scaring, they can’t help but GIGGLE, too! They’d love if you could help them, so let’s stretch from head to toe and shake out every arm and leg. Now, ready, steady, GO!
Halloween Trampoline by Scott Rothman, illustrated by Rob Justus
A rollicking rhyming text that features the monsters we all know and love as they carry out their favorite Halloween routine–jumping on their trampoline!
In the process, Vampire loses a fang while eating a tangerine and Werewolf howls at the moon while playing the tambourine. But the fun continues as they bounce high over pumpkin patches, haunted houses, and trick-or-treaters dressed nice and mean.
Here a Creak, There a Shriek! by Kelly Conroy, illustrated by Nikolas Ilic
Let’s explore a haunted farm.
Eeek I! Eeek-I! Oh!
Enter the haunted farm–if you dare! Venture into a foggy field full of howling, growling beasts and cackling witches. Cackle! Step into the rustling corn of a scarecrow’s maze. Eeek! Wind through the haunted woods full of ghastly ghouls. Woooo! And open the creaking barn doors to uncover a final, not-so chilling surprise: a fabulously spooky barn dance! Eeek–I! Eeek–I! Oh! Includes a poster printed in Pantone on the inside of the jacket!
How to Scare a Mouse and Bear by Ross Collins
It’s Halloween night and Bear is determined to scare Mouse. Mouse, however, isn’t fooled by Bear’s half-hearted attempts to dress up―his ghostly wailing is just plain ridiculous and his werewolf smells like wet dog. But wait! Who’s knocking at the door now? This mysterious monster might just give them both a fright!
Mr. Crump the Heartless Grump by Pog, illustrated by Stephanie Leon
Everyone avoids curmudgeonly Mr Crump, but they don’t know the old man has a secret. He LOVES teddy bears. When trick-or-treaters accidentally uncover his cuddly collection, Mr Crump feels something strange… Could it be that Mr Crump is not so heartless, after all?
Please Don’t Scare the Ghost by Carrie Williford, illustrated by Allysa Adams
You may not think of your ghost as being scared of many things, but that’s something you should know up-front about your ghostie friend: they scare easily. And before you venture out, it’s important to know that there are many rules to follow when meeting your local creepy crawlies. Please Don’t Scare the Ghost is your one-stop shop to navigating Halloween night and its witches, ghosts, zombies, and vampires, so as not to offend any of your new friends.
Scritch! Scratch!: An Itchy, Witchy Halloween Tale by Teri Sloat, illustrated by Zuzana Cupova
Scritch! Scratch!
What was that?
The witch!
She’s in the pumpkin patch!
In the sky, through the pumpkin patch, between the trees…the kids in this story have to be crafty if they want to avoid the witch and her spell! But she is determined to keep them on their toes with a few tricks up her sleeve…
The Very Unusual Pumpkin by Marilyn Singer, illustrated by Maya Shleifer
Everyone’s grandma is good at telling stories…except for Lulu’s, that is. So Lulu decides to step in and help! Lulu’s method is asking questions. So when Grandma tells what seems like a mundane story of an ugly pumpkin sitting in a field, Lulu asks: “Why was the pumpkin ugly?” Grandma’s answer sparks Lulu’s imagination, and she tells Grandma: “That’s not ugly! It’s unusual!” And the two are off on a storytelling adventure! With a little creativity and improvisation, together Lulu and Grandma spin a full, refreshing narrative about a pumpkin and a fairy godmother–as well as the nature of storytelling itself.
Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.
