Halloween is just around the corner! For young children this time of year is full of new and exciting learning opportunities, and for many of them it is their first experiences with pumpkins/fall/Halloween. Bringing books about Halloween and pumpkins into the home can complement the real-life experiences they are taking part in and make it FUN! As a tradition I always like to get my son at least one new book for every holiday. If you enjoy gifting books or reading themed books in your home, check out my favorite books for babies/toddlers (ages 0-3) as well as for early childhood (ages 3-6) below!
Baby/Toddler books
That’s Not my Bat! by Usborne Books– created for babies/toddlers ages 9 months & up! This series has become one of our favorites! The dark outlines of the illustrations grab the attention of babies and the repetitive wording keeps it simple & engaging!
That’s Not my Witch! by Usborne Books
That’s Not my Monster! by Usborne books
It’s Pumpkin Day, Mouse! by Laura Numeroff– my son LOVES this book because (like the “That’s Not my…” series mentioned above) the images have bold features and the pumpkin faces grab his attention. He loves looking at the different faces and trying to mimic them right now!
Spooky Pookie by Sandra Boynton– if you have followed me for awhile, it is no secret that I love all books by Sandra Boynton. This one is no different! Such a cute little board book that tells the story of deciding on the perfect Halloween costume for “Pookie”.
early childhood books
Pete the Cat: Five Little Pumpkins by James Dean– Based on the popular Halloween song, I LOVED reading this to my preschoolers and kindergarteners when I was in the classroom. I cannot wait to read it to my son in a couple years when he can fully participate in singing along and counting! (Of course, I can still sing/read this to him now!).
The Halloween Play by Felicia Bond– Roger the mouse is the star in this adorable story about a class putting on a Halloween play and all the practice that went into it!
Little Boo by Stephen Wunderli– such a cute story about a little tiny pumpkin seed that tries to be scary!
Splat the Cat and the Pumpkin-Picking Plan by Catherine Hapka– Splat is a spunky and silly cat on the hunt to find the perfect pumpkin (and has to figure out how to get it home!).
Sixteen Runaway Pumpkins by Dianne Ochiltree– a fun story about collecting pumpkins in a patch that can easily be turned into math learning opportunities with counting by 2’s!
The Monster of the Woods! by Claire Freedman & Russell Julian– a sweet story about “Snuggles” as he pretends to be “The Monster of the Woods” and scare his friends!
Seed, Sprout, Pumpkin, Pie by Jill Esbaum– it can be so hard to find non-fiction books for this age group, especially on a certain topic. This is a great informational book with real pictures.
Happy Fall and as always, Happy Reading!