Looking for a scare — or Halloween-themed book that’s more silly than scary? Look no further. (But don’t look behind you!) Welcome to our roundup of preschool and primary Halloween books: Horn BOO!

Things That Go Bump in the Day
by Melinda Beatty; illus. by Charlene Chua
Primary    Dial    32 pp.
8/24    9780593616642    $18.99
e-book ed.  9780593616659    $10.99

While being tucked into his coffin for his day’s sleep, young vampire Vlad confesses that he’s “afraid of the things that go bump in the Day!” Mama reassures him that the noises from the letter carrier delivering the mail are in fact being made by a giant snake riding a bicycle. “That’s not scary at all,” replies Vlad. The pattern continues as the day unfolds (and Mama displays growing impatience). Finally, Vlad falls asleep — but now Mama lies awake, herself frightened by daytime sounds. The many noises — the HERNK of a firetruck’s horn, the CHUFF of a lawn mower — should make story time entertaining, and amusing details in the digital art add appeal. MARTHA V. PARRAVANO

The Little Witch Who Lost Her Broom!
by Elaine Bickell; illus. by Raymond McGrath
Preschool    Flamingo/Penguin    40 pp.
8/24    9780593692387    $18.99
e-book ed.  9780593692394    $10.99

Little Witch’s broom is missing. After searching her house and trying unsatisfactory alternative modes of transport (scooter, bike, digger, train, plane), she turns to the reader for assistance: “Do YOU know where to look?” Sharp-eyed readers and viewers will have noticed what Little Witch hasn’t: her broom has been following her the whole time. This entertaining seek-and-find element amid the dynamic perspectives of McGrath’s seasonally colored illustrations should appeal to young readers, as will Bickell’s bouncy rhymes, repetition, and vehicle sounds. A complementary companion to the duo’s The Little Ghost Who Lost Her Boo! (rev. 9/20). CYNTHIA K. RITTER

Feeling Boo
by Alex Boniello and April Lavalle; illus. by Olivia Chin Mueller
Primary    Abrams    40 pp.
8/24    9781419772443    $18.99
e-book ed.  9798887072302    $17.09

Ghost Ollie is “feeling boo.” Ellie, the other ghostly “permanent resident” of their stately home, is full of ideas to cheer him up, but playing the Victrola, scaring neighbors, and making shadow puppets doesn’t do the trick. Finally, Ollie gets Ellie to listen: they can’t “outrun these boos,” but sitting quietly together might help. Along with its helpful message — sadness is a natural part of life (and the afterlife) — this ultimately assuring picture book delivers ghostly humor (“If I may be transparent,” says the narrator). Digital illustrations heavy on purples and oranges have plenty of pore-over-able details. SHOSHANA FLAX

The Yowlers
by Stacy Lynn Carroll; illus. by Molly Ruttan
Preschool, Primary    Paulsen/Penguin    32 pp.
9/24    9780593109885    $18.99
e-book ed.  9780593109892    $10.99

For the Yowler family, “grumpiness [is] a way of life.” The family, depicted as appealingly comical monsters in the mixed-media illustrations, turns every activity into a fuss (“Sara and Sonya Yowler didn’t share, they shouted. If they didn’t win, they wailed”). But then the more human-looking Nicely family moves in next door and serves as a…bad?…influence. Readers and listeners may recognize themselves in both the Yowlers and the Nicelys in this monster story told with amusing earnestness. SHOSHANA FLAX

The Goblin Twins: Too Hard to Scare
by Frances Cha; illus. by Jaime Kim
Primary    Crown    40 pp.
9/24    9780593480267    $19.99
Library ed.  9780593480274    $22.99
e-book ed.  9780593480281    $10.99

Doki and Kebi (The Goblin Twins, rev. 9/23), who are based on Korean mythological creatures, are now New Yorkers. While homebody Doki is happy reading, Kebi wants to go out and make new friends. His attempts to grab attention (e.g., causing traffic jams, stalling the subways) go unnoticed: “This is very normal in NYC.” Demoralized, Kebi is about to give up (“Don’t wake me up until Halloween”), until Doki, cueing into his loneliness, joins in the citified trickster fun. Lighthearted text and high-energy digital illustrations, both with Korean cultural and mythological details, reflect adorable monster mayhem. ELISSA GERSHOWITZ

Pete the Cat: Scaredy Cat! [I Can Read!]
by James Dean and Kimberly Dean; illus. by James Dean
Primary    Harper/HarperCollins    32 pp.
7/24    9780063096141    $17.99
Paper ed.  9780063096134    $5.99
e-book ed.  9780063096158    $3.99

In this early reader starring the familiar feline, Pete the Cat listens to a scary story for the first time in his life. His brother Bob, who tells the tale about a two-headed monster with seven eyes and spaghetti arms, teases him later (their spaghetti dinner sure resembles those monster arms), and by bedtime, Pete is getting scared despite himself. All ends well — and Bob admits he “was a little scared too.” The short, simple sentences and the series’ typical playful, tie-dye-hued illustrations are perfect for reminding new readers that it’s okay to be frightened sometimes. NIHARIKA PRABHAKAR

Spooky, Scary Skeletons
by Andrew Gold; illus. by Polona Lovšin
Preschool, Primary    Random    32 pp.
8/24    9780593903049    $18.99
Library ed.  9780593903056    $21.99
e-book ed.  9780593903063    $10.99

Songwriter Gold’s quirky 1996 hit “Spooky, Scary Skeletons” is brought to life in picture book form. In this entertaining read-aloud, five children dressed as skeletons and one toddler in a pumpkin costume get ready for Halloween and go trick-or-treating. Although the skeletons “send shiiiiivers down your spine,” there’s nothing to fear on these cheerful pages. Lovšin’s illustrations, created using acrylic, charcoal, and pastels, give the book a lighthearted feel and plenty of surprises to find on repeated readings. MARVA ANNE HINTON

Little Red: Autumn on the Farm
by Will Hillenbrand; illus. by the author
Preschool    Ottaviano/ Little, Brown    40 pp.
9/24    9780316571647    $18.99

Plucky truck Little Red and driver Katie (Little Red, rev. 11/23) are back, and a good thing, too: when vehicles around the farm need help, they ably clear clogs and reset chains while the leaves come “down, down, down, down, down, and down.” Autumnal atmosphere abounds in this amiable tale of can-do helpfulness, with the bold-colored vehicles and their color-coded speech bubbles popping against the otherwise fall-hued palette. It all culminates in a triumphant fall ritual—and thanks to Little Red and Katie, everyone is able to attend. “BOO-RAY!” SHOSHANA FLAX

Broom for Two
by Jennifer Maruno; illus. by Scot Ritchie
Preschool, Primary    Pajama    32 pp.
8/24    9781772783209    $18.95

In this creative picture book, a young witch needs assistance to fix her broom and finds it — and an unlikely friendship — via Ramshackle Rat. The writing is engaging, with a tone and cadence (“Little Witch: Dipped and doodled / Rose and sunk, / Flew in a circle / And landed BUMP!”) that’ll have readers eagerly following Little Witch and her new friend. The cartoonish illustrations are full of bright fall colors while also capturing nighttime in a spooky but friendly way. This book is an ideal read for Halloween, celebrating unexpected friendship and fun for the spooky season. CHARLIZE GUERRA

Cookie & Broccoli: Scariest Halloween Ever!
by Bob McMahon; illus. by the author
Primary    Dial    112 pp.
8/24    9780593530023    $13.99
Paper ed.  9780593530016    $8.99
e-book ed.  9780593530030    $8.99

In this early-reader graphic novel series’ fourth entry (Cookie & Broccoli: Ready for School!, et al.), timid Broccoli is not a Halloween fan (“I don’t like to be scared!!!”). The first of three chapters ends with a frightened Broccoli fleeing to The Big Scary Forest. He befriends a sasquatch, learns how to be brave, and discovers that the best part of Halloween is having fun with friends — even more important than candy, as he reminds his outgoing best friend, Cookie. McMahon disguises the story’s lessons in an offbeat, kid-friendly premise, and the simple yet lively panels of his digital art are filled with expressive characters, punny costumes, and playful hand-lettered text and sound effects. Tips for a “FA-BOO-LOUS HALLOWEEN” are appended. CYNTHIA K. RITTER

Más. ¡Menos! [Skeletown]
by Rhode Montijo; illus. by the author
Preschool, Primary    Little, Brown    40 pp.
8/24    9780316465045    $17.99

The skele-friends are back to create más mayhem for fall. A text consisting of two new opposite words — más (more) and menos (less) — narrates seasonal scenes run amok. Leaves falling means “menos” are on the tree. “Más” are in a pile, until — uh-oh — the dog runs through and makes it “menos.” A sweater becomes “¡MENOS!” as the cat grabs a string and unravels it, until the knitter — skel-abuela, perhaps? — knits it back up. The book ends with a calm moment of reading in bed under a heartfelt “más.” Montijo’s illustrations, this time in black, white, and neon orange, maintain the bold style and some characters from Si. ¡No! (rev. 9/23), with the notable pet additions. MONICA DE LOS REYES

Get Ready for Halloween
by Janet Nolan; illus. by Amy Zhing
Preschool, Primary    Whitman    32 pp.
9/24    9780807528297    $18.99

A town full of different animal inhabitants is preparing for Halloween in this friendly book about anticipation. “Hurry up! There’s lots to do,” from hanging decorations and buying candy all the way to gathering safety gear and hunting for a misplaced witch’s hat on the way out the door to trick-or-treat. Cheerful, jewel-toned illustrations vary between bird’s-eye views of town and close-ups of creature-kids and their grownups donning classic costumes, inviting readers to pore over pages for delightful details and build excitement for their own Halloween festivities. MONICA DE LOS REYES

I Got the Spooky Spirit
by Connie Schofield-Morrison; illus. by Frank Morrison
Preschool    Bloomsbury    32 pp.
7/24    9781547606993    $18.99
e-book ed.  9781547607006     $13.29

In this dynamic picture book, the “spooky spirit” is in the air as a child gets ready for Halloween, picking the “biggest pumpkin in the patch” and making special treats with other children. Morrison’s vibrant oil-painted illustrations capture the anticipation and excitement as the child decorates for a party and gets dressed in a costume with a “BOO-licious face, FANG-tastic teeth, and witchy purple hair.” Schofield-Morrison (I Got the Christmas Spirit, rev. 11/18, and others) primarily uses rhyming couplets to tell this story that includes trick-or-treating, bobbing for apples, and catching a glimpse of the Halloween spirit as it escapes at the end of the night. MARVA ANNE HINTON

Little Monster Says Good Night
by David Slonim; illus. by the author
Preschool    Chronicle    32 pp.
8/24    9781797216652    $17.99

Momster offers Little Monster some “sour milk and burnt cookies” before bed. “YUM!” Bathtime means a tub full of warm mud (“crumple up your filthy towel and toss it on the floor to fester”). Little human monsters will love the inversion of their typical nighttime routines, with Mommy reminding Little Monster to “drink up, or you might not wet the bed!” Slonim’s not-scary cartoon illustrations feature a loving pair that look like a cross between Wild Things and Muppets; Little Monster’s human stuffie is a sweet touch. KITTY FLYNN

Wolfgang in the Meadow
by Lenny Wen; illus. by the author
Primary    Clarion/HarperCollins    48 pp.
7/24    9780063288942    $19.99

Ghost Wolfgang is good at “possessing living things, casting spells…” But he also likes hugging trees, picking flowers, cloud watching, and stargazing. When he’s selected to take over haunting the Dark Castle — an afterlife-long dream — he must set non-spooky things aside. Ignoring his softer side takes a toll, and Wolfgang eventually finds he’s losing his supernatural mojo. Back in his beloved meadow, “Wolfgang felt warm and cozy feelings stir inside him.” This tale of being true to yourself features an appealingly earnest spirit; Wen’s mixed-media illustrations are equally adept at conveying the meadow’s warm, saturated colors and the Dark Castle’s gloom and doom. KITTY FLYNN

Little Ghost Makes a Friend
by Maggie Edkins Willis; illus. by the author
Primary    Wiseman/Simon    40 pp.
7/24    9781665927857    $18.99
e-book ed.  9781665927864    $10.99

Little Ghost has wanted to make a friend for centuries, but he can never get up the courage to say hello to his human neighbors…except on Halloween, when he can blend in. In this welcome tale of being your (“spooky, sparkly”) self, Little Ghost comes to realize that he doesn’t need a holiday — or any of the costumes he tries — to be liked. The digital art in an inviting palette full of purples and greens often uses graphic novel conventions, and the result is a book that feels more like a friendship story than a scary one. SHOSHANA FLAX

Guess Who? Boo to You!
by Katie Woolley; illus. by Grasya Oliyko
Preschool    Nosy Crow    32 pp.
7/24    9798887770734    $10.99

Ghost “has a treat / but who’s it for?” Open the door-shaped flap: “BOO! It’s Witch!” Witch flies off with a basket of treats for… “KNOCK, / KNOCK! / Guess who? // BOO! It’s Cat!” Cat knocks on Skeleton’s door; Skeleton delivers treats to Spider, who scuttles to Bat’s cave. Finally, “Who could be behind THIS door?” The door opens to reveal a mirror: “BOO! It’s you!” Rhyming text, interactive flaps, friendly characters, and lots of Halloween details will delight the preschool audience. KITTY FLYNN