Not all children’s books about monsters and other frightening creatures are scary. These are some of our favorite monster (and ghost and goblin!) books to help turn the tables on your kids’ fears. Check it out!
The best children’s books about monsters — the friendly kind, of course!
I kind of hate Halloween. Every year as my friends eagerly plan their kids’ costumes – and sometimes, even their own – I groan inwardly and secretly count the days until November 1st. Maybe my parents scarred me for life when they dressed me, at three, in a yellow pillow case, slapped a pink bow on my head, and called me Ms. Pac-Man (40 years later, my mom insists on defending this costume).
Or maybe it’s the simple fact that Halloween in Miami, when temperatures are near ninety and the humidity is thick enough to wear its own witch’s hat, is anything but fun when dragging two sweaty little boys by the hands for blocks and blocks and blocks.
Children’s books about monsters, ghouls, and ghosts make Halloween fun for everyone!
Though I pride myself on creativity, my boys’ Halloween costumes have been sorely unoriginal. I’m hardly a Pinterest-perfect “Spooktacular Snack” maker, and I’m definitely not one who decorates the outside of my house with a scary landscape sure to make the neighborhood kids scream.
I do love the pumpkin patch, though, and I do carve a mean pumpkin! And when my kids are excited because their friends are excited and they want nothing more than to get into the Halloween spirit, there is one thing I do enjoy– and I enjoy it tremendously.
What’s that, you ask? We break out our monster books and turn the tables on all things scary.
Not all children love spooky stories.
My kids are not the ones that delight in fright. So when they were small, I loved to break out all of our spooky-but-definitely-not-scary books (but if you love scary kids’ books, make sure to click here!). The following children’s books about monsters and other characters we typically think of as “scary” will surprise your family with valuable lessons about creativity, friendship, and empathy.
These messages are significant all year round, not just during the Halloween season! Without further ado, here are our favorite books about monsters, witches, ghosts, and other ghouls. Enjoy!
RELATED: We’ve got more than 100 children’s book lists on Happily Ever Elephants. Be sure to check out this link!
Frequently Asked Questions
While the books on this list are more “silly” than scary, any book featuring monsters or other ghouls has the potential to frighten small kids. Always make sure to read through a book before you share it with your children, noting if anything in the story is a poor fit for your child’s particular fears or anxieties. Remember, you know your child best!
Crankenstein is such a great read! I love this story because it makes grumpiness relatable to kids and helps children recognize that even our “bad” days can turn around!
Oh yes! What I love about kids’ monster books is that these stories often revolve around characters that are “different” than others. These characters seek to make friends, fit in, and play nicely. But how can they do so when they aren’t like their peers? Children’s books about monsters can thus teach the importance of kindness, compassion, and learning not to judge a book by its cover.
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Our favorite children’s books about monsters, witches, and ghosts
What happens when a ghost isn’t a billowy sheet, but a thick quilt instead? A hot, stuffy quilt that is not as light as air and causes the ghost difficulty when he tries to twirl and float and soar? This adorable story of a different kind of ghost who feels left out when his friends are zooming all around packs the perfect punch. And the magic that happens on Halloween when the little ghost has an experience that was only possible because he’s a quilt and not a sheet? Perfection!
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Baby Dracula can’t wait to visit the zoo with his family, but when he gets there, he has a lot of trouble staying with his family. Instead, he makes his way into the penguin house, and what results is an adorable case of adventure and mistaken identity! Will Dracula’s family realize they have the wrong kiddo? And will they go home with the right one?!
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Poor Winifred Schnitzel can’t seem to get rid of the neighborhood monsters that creep into her room at night and desperately try to scare her silly. Can she make them go away with a kiss?
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What happens when you come face to face with a scary ghost? Make sure to grab this book if you want to have the essential tips handy, because some ghosts may simply need a friend. If you are sweet and warm and kind, I suggest you be on the lookout because a ghost may find you soon!
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Uh oh. House has a little bit of a problem. She squeaks. She creaks. She groans. Could she be – gulp! – haunted? The poor house simply wants to find a perfect family to settle within her walls, but will she ever find the right ones? Can she turn a haunted house into a haunted home?
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Poor Gustavo has such a hard time making friends, and all he wants is for the other monsters to see him for who he is. He decides to hold a concert on the Day of the Dead, so all of the other ghouls and goblins will hopefully notice him doing what he loves best- making music. But WILL they truly see him when he puts himself out there and accept Gustavo for who he really is? In this fun and whimsical ode to the Day of the Dead, Gustavo’s bravery and willingness to put himself out there in an effort to make new friends truly shine!
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Even the sweetest kids become Crankensteins, from dusk till dawn, in rain, in heat, and – most certainly – when standing in long, long lines. Beware the cantankerous Crankenstein! We also love Crankenstein, Trick or Treat. These books are such fun!
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Jasper rabbit loves carrots, especially the ones that grow in Crackenhopper field. He can never get enough of them, but will his greed become his undoing as the carrots begin to haunt him? Make sure to also check out the second and third tales about Jasper, our family favorites— Creepy Pair of Underwear! and Creepy Crayon!
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Even monsters try to buck stereotypes. Poor Floyd Peterson wants nothing more than to tell his readers that not all monsters are bad, even though they have fangs and crazy hair, and clompy feet. Didn’t you know that monsters have feelings too? Won’t you just give him a chance?
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A little ghost’s attempts to welcome the new family in his home are sorely misunderstood. Leo gathers he is unwanted and decides to leave. He meets a new pal on his journey, and using his wits, Leo teaches others that he is more friend than foe.
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When Gabe, the monster that lives under Ethan’s bed, goes on a fishing trip and won’t be back for a week, Ethan knows he’s got no chance of falling asleep without Gabe’s familiar breathing in his room. Ethan takes it upon himself to interview creatures that might hide under his bed temporarily, but will they be scary enough to do the job?
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Finnigan the skeleton is known for being greedy and having an insatiable appetite. When he arrives in a town replete with witches and ghouls, not a creature in sight will share their food with him. How will he entice them to give him some grub? Stir up a magical bone soup, of course.
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Oh, sweet Bonaparte! The skeleton’s bones seem to fall apart more than they stick together, making it awfully hard for him to get a hold of himself and make new friends. Luckily, with the help of pals Franky Stein and Mummicula, Bonaparte finds a way to keep himself in one piece.
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It’s hard being the new kid in town, especially when that new kid is a ghost who has trouble playing games with the other neighborhood creatures. But even the ghost on the block can find a way to play, and he just might find that his greatest deficits are also his biggest strengths.
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What do you do when your mean, mean monster always seems to remember his manners? Take him up on his offer to share a warm jelly doughnut!
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Which of these children’s books about monsters is your favorite, and what would you add to the list? Let us know in the comments below, and don’t forget to share this post with friends!
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