Early Literacy

A New York Times bestseller!

It’s Halloween in this companion to the beloved and bestselling classic Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, and there’s a spooky surprise in store for everyone’s favorite letters!

A told B,
and B told C,
“Let’s sneak to the top
of the creaky old tree.”

The classic alphabet chant gets a Halloween twist as the letters sneak their way up the tree, all donning their spiffiest costumes. But when a witch swoops in, and the letters come tumbling down, will that be the end of their Halloween fun…or just the beginning?

From #1 New York Times bestselling A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo illustrator E. G. Keller comes a hilarious autumnal tale about a city dog-out-of-water and his first Halloween



Murray loves the smells, sidewalks, and hydrants of his city neighborhood--which is why he isn't looking forward to a trip to some awful place called . . . The Country.



Away from the comforting familiarity of home, he comes nose-to-nose with strange things at every turn--and even worse, it's Halloween! From the costumes to the decorations, the pumpkin patches to the scarecrows to a new cat foe, everything is scary.



Will Murray face his frights, or cower under the couch with his stuffy toy?

This adorably charming picture book about a cat pondering WHICH kind of cat he should be is perfect for Halloween!

Told in silly, rhyming text, this is a not-so-scary Halloween tale about a grouchy old witch named Grizelda the Green who tries to destroy Halloween! Perfect for fans of Room on the Broom and How to Catch a Witch!

There's an old witch in town named Grizelda the Green.
She's sour and grouchy and HATES Halloween!
"Year after year, kids keep finding my door. 
I'm fed up and frazzled! I can't take anymore!"

Meet Grizelda the Green. She's a grouchy old witch and she absolutely, positively, HATES Halloween! So this year, she's cooked up a plan to end the holiday once and for all. But both she and the trick-or-treaters are in for some surprises that will make this the most memorable Halloween ever! 

Told in silly and clever rhyme by bestselling author A. A. Livingston, and brought to life with bright and colorful art by Katya Longhi, Grizelda the Green Hates Halloween is perfect for not-so-scary Halloween storytimes and for fans of Room on the Broom and How to Catch a Witch!

Praise for Grizelda the Green Hates Halloween:

"The rhyming text results in an ideal preschool read-aloud, with the bouncing stanzas keeping a snappy pace . . . A fresh trick-or-treating tale with plenty of read-aloud potential." --Kirkus reviews

"This book will bring lighthearted cheer to young readers . . .A good addition for ­libraries seeking to ­enhance their young children’s ­Halloween ­collections." SLJ reviews

"Original, clever, and a fun read from cover to cover, Grizelda the Green Hates Halloween is thoroughly 'kid friendly' and unreservedly recommended for Halloween picture book collections." --Midwest Book Review/Children's Book Watch

Little Boo is the best! Until Little Boo is the worst...Why couldn't Big Boo have a little witch or even a little vampire for a younger sibling? A picture book featuring a pesky little sibling paired with gentle social emotional learning--perfect for Halloween or any time of year when a new baby arrives and brings change.

When the antics of their little sibling start to get to Big Boo, they decide to trade for a friend's younger sibling, Little Howl. At first this seems like a great idea, but soon enough Big Boo finds that the grass isn't always greener and Little Howl is a whole new level of monster. This sweet and humorous story about sibling relationships acknowledges the frustrations but, ultimately, the love that comes with a new addition to the family.

From award-winning actress Aubrey Plaza and writer Dan Murphy comes the story of a feisty wannabe bruja and the kooky witch she helps to throw the best Halloween party of the season!

Luna Lopez wants to be a witch.

Pheenie the witch wants to throw a Halloween party.

Together this unlikely pair strikes a deal: If Luna helps her pull off the best, most spectacular soiree in the neighborhood, Pheenie will teach her the secrets to her potions and spells.

There’s only one problem: Getting this party on track is harder than Luna expected. She’ll have to curb every one of the frazzled witch’s creepy, crawly instincts to make sure the evening is full of both tricks and treats . . . and not a festive flop!

From goblins and ghouls to kids and cats, all are invited to party in this Halloween celebration from award-winning actress and producer Aubrey Plaza and co-author Dan Murphy.

From New York Times bestselling illustrator of The Big Cheese and the Food Group series, Pete Oswald, and critically acclaimed author Lucy Ruth Cummins comes a Halloween adventure for Sleepy Sheepy. A story all about learning when to blend in and when to stand out that is perfect for fans of Pig the Monster and Creepy Pair of Underwear!

It's Halloween, which means Sleepy Sheepy needs to find the perfect costume for trick-or-treating! And Sheepy MUST be the scariest, hairiest, werewolf of all!

But on Halloween night, the costume just doesn't fit right, and when Sheepy steps outside, there are packs of werewolves everywhere! How will he stand out and be the creepiest sheepy of all? 

From celebrated author Lucy Ruth Cummins and brought to life by #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator Pete Oswald, Creepy Sheepy is a silly and clever Halloween read-aloud all about marching to the beat of your own drum! 

Don't miss the other books in the series, Sleepy Sheepy and Sleepy Sheepy and the Sheepover!

Praise for Creepy Sheepy:
"Not too sweet and not too scary, this one is just right. A cute addition to any Halloween shelf." --Kirkus reviews

"Oswald creates colorful, sweet illustrations that emphasize characters and keep backgrounds simple to guide the reader’s focus. With charming rhythm, rhymes, and clever wordplay, Cummins celebrates the importance of individuality." --Booklist

A classic fairy tale is turned on its head when a creepy ghoul and three not-so-scary ghosts replace familiar characters in this funny holiday story.

Ghouldilocks and the Three Ghosts is the Halloween version of a well-known fairy tale. This Ghouldilocks has the same golden curls as the original, but styled with bones and tangles to suit this scary holiday. 

Ghouldilocks approaches a haunted mansion and steps inside. There she samples three bowls of ghoulosh, sits on a big chair, a medium chair, and a small chair. Next she tries out three beds--and falls asleep in the smallest one. The ghosts come home and instead of chasing Ghouldilocks away, they all become friends. The pages are sprinkled with speech balloons filled with silly Halloween jokes and puns. Colorful art includes sly details by a talented cartoonist will make readers laugh-out-loud.

This clever retelling of the classic Goldilocks and the Three Bears is perfect for Halloween.

Halloween hijinks are the spotlight of this delightfully silly autumn tale, perfect for fans of Stumpkin and the How to Catch series!

Whether just a trick or a bit of magic, prepare to be floored. Ellis has turned Dad into a GOURD!

Full of slapstick humor and autumnal festivities, there's no better way to celebrate Halloween than with Pumpkin Dad!

A LitHub Most Anticipated Children’s Book of 2025

“A book that captures the dance of unlikely bonds and a way to move from a place of acceptance.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“A solitary child and her rule-breaking ghost roommate learn the value of compromise in this cheeky picture book. —Shelf Awareness (starred review)

From Matthew Forsythe, the creator of the acclaimed and beloved Pokko and the Drum, comes a “subtle, sweet” (Booklist, starred review) picture book about rules. And sharing. And an epic game of tic-tac-toe.

Aggie is very excited to live on her own—until she finds out her new house is haunted. But no fear, the situation is nothing that can’t be fixed with a carefully considered list of rules: No haunting after dark. No stealing socks. No eating all the food.

But the ghost doesn’t like playing by the rules and challenges Aggie to an epic game of tic-tac-toe—winner gets the house.

Once upon a time a vampire took a bite of a jam sandwich . . . and a legend was born. Now the vampire jam sandwich roams the streets, looking for MORE JAM. Will yours be next?

A hilarious spooky picture book featuring a sneaky vampire, for fans of Creepy Carrots and How to Make Friends With a Ghost.

You may not have heard of the Vampire Jam Sandwich. But it's time you learned the truth.

Once upon a time, a vampire (maybe his name is Terrence) took a bite of a jam sandwich (maybe he thought the jam was . . . something else).

And you know what happens when a vampire bites you . . .

That's right. The jam sandwich has become . . . A VAMPIRE JAM SANDWICH. Terrifying, stalking the streets at night, sneaking into people's homes in an endless search for MORE JAM!

Kids and adults alike will be delighted by this sly jam-loving vampire and his jam sandwich legend, with hilarious tongue-in-cheek art from Nici Gregory. Can you trust your narrator? Is the Vampire Jam Sandwich real? Is your jam safe? Read on to find out . . .

A charming and humorous tale about a new girl who is determined to stand out at show-and-tell... by catching a ghost!

''Hauntingly good -- quirky, amusing, and deeply felt.'' --Kirkus Reviews

Bringing nothing to show and tell is like wearing shoes without socks.

It stinks.

So, when all you got is nothing, you need to catch yourself a something.

And if you've got gumption, that something could be a ghost.

Show-and-tell isn't for the faint of heart, so grab your camera, flashlight, and backpack -- it's time to catch yourself a ghost! Once you find a good one, spend some quality time together. This will provide all the information you need to build the perfect ghost trap. It will also probably complicate things. So, when the moment finally arrives, you may be confident you can catch a ghost...but can you catch a friend?

A ghostly good tale about the high stakes of show-and-tell, unexpected friendships, and accepting the unknown -- brought to life with Rachel Michelle Wilson's playful and heartfelt illustrations.

An adorable witch is anxious to get the perfect pet but learns to have patience when she brings home a mystery egg in this laugh-out-loud picture book from New York Times bestselling author Beth Ferry. Perfect for Halloween!

Evelyn Witch has everything a witch needs. Messy hair, bubbling potions, and perfectly carved pumpkins.

But there’s something missing... A pet!

Perhaps she’ll get a bat or a griffin, or— Oh. She can only afford the mystery pet: a plain white egg.

She watches and waits for it to hatch.

Sniveling snails, something has to be done! Evelyn rolls up her sleeves and heads to the library, where they keep all the best spells. It’s time to get serious.

In this hilarious and heartwarming picture book, join Bob the vampire snail as he embraces his unique love of tomatoes, discovers new and peculiar sleeping talents, and forms an unexpected friendship.

"A work that young readers can sink their teeth into." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

Did you know all snails are named Bob? It's a fact! And this is the story of one of those Bobs and the night his life changed forever. First, he heard a SCREAM... then a C-R-A-C-K... and then he felt a drip, drip, drip... and then, poof! He was a vampire snail. 

Fangs? Check. No reflection? Check. Wings? You bet. And so Bob, now very different from all the other Bobs, sets out to live life as a vampire snail, discovering his knack for sleeping upside down and his taste for tomatoes. He's alone in his vampire-ness, until one day Bob meets someone very similar....

Endearing and laugh-out-loud funny, this is a story about individuality, friendship, and tomatoes, as only beloved creator Andrea Zuill can tell it.

Three starred reviews!

In this “inspiring…delightful” (School Library Journal, starred review) picture book offering a twist on the trick-or-treat trope, a feisty little girl has had enough of her parents picking cutesy Halloween costumes for her—this year, a witch!

A little girl has been every adorable thing you can imagine for Halloween, and she is done with being cuddly, sweet, and precious. This year, she’s rebelling big-time and going for a totally different vibe: the spookiest thing out there. She’s going to be…a witch!

With only a little help from Dad, she works hard on her witchy locks, brew, spells and enchantments, and power to petrify. But what happens when what she sees in the mirror is so spooky, she scares even herself? Nothing that an understanding dad—and maybe a quick restorative nap—can’t handle.