Welp sharing our Halloween books a month behind schedule, but ’tis 2022 around here. We have been all in on the spooky cute books for a while, and I’m so excited to share our spooky cute shelfie from this year! At some point during this year my 2.5 year-old decided he loved ghosts and anything spooky (though not scary), so we are all in on ghost things over here. (links are affiliate links through bookshop.org where you can support your favorite local bookshop)
Gustavo the Shy Ghost – This book might have the cutest secret cover ever. This book focus on a ghost who wants to make friends, so he invites them to hear him play in a concert. I love the messaging of using your own talent/interest and staying true to yourself to make friends.
Corduroy’s Halloween – We went through a big Corduroy phase earlier this year and I found this at a thrift shop for a couple of dollars over the summer and had tucked it away. There are quite a few flaps and it’s fun to find the cat on each page. We did have a lengthy discussion on why Lisa isn’t anywhere in the book because it’s just Corduroy and his other stuffed animal friends.
Leila the Perfect Witch – From the same author-illustrator as Gustavo, this is a sweet story about family and friendship as Leila wants to win a baking competition and realizes she isn’t great at baking. Instead of her family feeling disappointed, they help her and cheer her on along the way! She also doesn’t win in the end, so I love the lesson that winning isn’t always the most important part. The illustrations are so fun and we love searching for the little gingerbread man on most of the pages.
Hardly Haunted – This book is told from the viewpoint of the house, who is lonely without a family. They think if they try not to be haunted someone will want to move in, but they realize they actually like being haunted & in the end a lovely ghost family moves in. A great talking point for not changing who you are for someone else.
Bonaparte Falls Apart – This is probably the MVP of the Halloween books. We had it from the library a few years ago and I remember thinking it was cute, so I scooped it up on a super sale out of season. This is actually a great back to school book too, as Bonaparte is worried about starting school and being made fun of because his bones are falling apart. His friends all try different ways to keep him together. There’s a second Bonaparte book we haven’t read yet.
Sir Simon: Super Scarer – This one has adorable illustrations, and is a cute story about a ghost who tries to convince the boy who moved into his house to do his “ghost chores” for him, only in the end to realize that the boy is much better off being his friend. My 2.5-year-old especially enjoyed this one, though much (if not all) of the humor went over his head.
Not pictured on our shelfie, but equally loved are two phonics books: Spider Queen’s Halloween and Trick or Treat Parakeet.
Boo Stew is high on the list for next year. What Halloween books were your favorite?
Carly Reads Here 
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