Children’s Spine-Chilling Horror books hold a special place in my heart. As a mom to my own little goober, there’s nothing I love more than reading to him. That’s why I’m thrilled to share with you this extensive list of spooky picture books for little ones. 📚🎃
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Hello, ghosts and ghouls! Welcome to my little cozy corner of the web, Booked and Bewitched, where we chat about all things horror, spooky, and mystery related for all ages!
This week we are talking about all things Children’s Spine-Chilling Horror related.
Picture books aren’t just about colorful illustrations and heartwarming tales; they can also be a gateway to the world of spooky adventures and thrilling mysteries for young readers!
From haunted houses to mischievous monsters, the genre of Children’s Spine-Chilling Horror, AKA, spooky picture books offers a diverse range of stories that captivate children’s imaginations and keep them on the edge of their seats.
So without further ado, let’s get into these Children’s Spine-Chilling Horror! And if you need more horror-themed entertainment choices. Go check out-
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Children’s Spine-Chilling Horror
1. 🕸️🕷️ Spooky children’s books
Dive into this classic tale of deception and danger as a cunning spider lures an unsuspecting fly into his web. With its hauntingly beautiful illustrations and timeless moral, this book is a must-read for young readers who love a good scare! 🕸️🕷️
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Mary Howitt’s classic 19th Century poem, “The Spider and the Fly,” warns its young readers against the danger of flattery and evil counsel. In her famous tale, the flitting Fly is overwhelmed by the cunning Spider, due in part to the Spider’s deception, but also because of the Fly’s own sins of vanity and naivety. The poem is told in an engaging rhyme and rhythm and is colorfully illustrated by Ukrainian artist Yelyzaveta Anysymova. This edition of Howitt’s tale of moral hazard is a great addition to any child’s bookshelf.
2. 🎨😈 Scary stories for kids
Follow the hilarious adventures of Leonardo, a monster who’s not so scary after all, as he tries to find the perfect victim to scare. With its laugh-out-loud humor and heartwarming message about friendship, this book is sure to delight kids of all ages! 🎨😈
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Leonardo is truly a terrible monster-terrible at being a monster that is. No matter how hard he tries, he can’t seem to frighten anyone. Determined to succeed, Leonardo sets himself to training and research. Finally, he finds a nervous little boy, and scares the tuna salad out of him! But scaring people isn’t quite as satisfying as he thought it would be. Leonardo realizes that he might be a terrible, awful monster-but he could be a really good friend.
3. 🛏️👹 Kid friendly horror tales
Join Ethan as he searches for a substitute monster to keep him company while his usual monster, Gabe, is on vacation. With its quirky characters and clever twist ending, this book is a spooky delight for kids who love a good monster tale! 🛏️👹
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One night, when Ethan checks under his bed for his monster, Gabe, he finds a note from him instead: “Gone fishing. Back in a week.” Ethan knows that without Gabe’s familiar nightly scares he doesn’t stand a chance of getting to sleep, so Ethan interviews potential substitutes to see if they’ve got the right equipment for the job—pointy teeth, sharp claws, and a long tail—but none of them proves scary enough for Ethan. When Gabe returns sooner than expected from his fishing trip, Ethan is thrilled. It turns out that Gabe didn’t enjoy fishing because the fish scared too easily.
4. 📚👾 Classic children’s horror tale
Tag along with lovable Sesame Street character Grover as he tries to stop readers from turning the pages and revealing the monster at the end of the book. With its interactive format and charming humor, this book is a timeless favorite that’s perfect for young readers! 📚👾
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Lovable, furry old Grover is distressed to learn that there’s a monster at the end of this book! He begs readers not to turn the pages, but of course kids feel they just have to see this monster for themselves. Grover is astonished–and toddlers will be delighted–to discover who is really the monster at the end of the book!
5. 👻🏠 Ghost stories for children
Follow the adventures of a little witch as she moves into a haunted house and discovers a clever way to deal with the ghosts that inhabit it. With its charming illustrations and whimsical story, this book is a delightful read for kids who love a spooky twist! 👻🏠
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At the edge of town lives a clever girl with a spooky problem: Her house is haunted! Luckily, she happens to be a witch and knows a little something about taking care of ghosts. She catches them, puts them in the washing machine, airs them out to dry, and gives them new lives as sofa covers, table cloths, and, of course, bed sheets to cozy up under. Fresh and charming illustrations in dynamic orange, black and white bring this resourceful heroine and these spooky ghosts to life.
6. 🌟👻 Spine-chilling picture books
Meet the little ghost who’s not so good at scaring people and embarks on a quest to become the best ghost he can be. With its gentle humor and heartwarming message about acceptance, this book is a delightful read for kids of all ages! 🌟👻
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A little ghost who always wanted to see the town by daylight creates chaos when he does, and finds himself unable to be a night ghost again.
7. 🎈😡 Creepy bedtime stories for kids
Join the lovable monster Grump as he searches for his missing mean and learns an important lesson about friendship along the way. With its colorful illustrations and positive message, this book is a heartwarming read for kids who love a good monster story! 🎈😡
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Everyone knows that the M in “monster” stands for MEAN. But what happens when a monster can’t be mean any more? Is he still a monster at all?
One young monster’s attempts to live up to his name go hilariously awry as he discovers―with a little help from new friends―that it’s not what you’re called but who you are that counts.
8. 🎮👹 Monster tales for kids
Dive into this interactive augmented reality children’s book where monsters learn about good manners and kindness. With its innovative format and important lessons, this book is a must-read for kids who love a spooky twist on social skills! 🎮👹
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Dive into the enchanting world of Monsters Have Manners by Jeff Kubiak, a charming children’s book that teaches kids about the importance of kindness and manners through the adventures of River and his monster friends.
9. 👧👻 Haunted house adventures
Follow the quirky adventures of Clarissa as she sets out to find the perfect ghost to befriend, only to discover that being haunted isn’t as easy as it seems. With its charming illustrations and humorous storyline, this book is a delightful read for kids who love a good ghostly tale! 👧👻
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Clarissa the cottage is adorable . . . bright pink, with windows that wink, and flowers growing all around. But Clarissa doesn’t want to be adorable–being cute is boring.
Couldn’t she be like her father, a creepy castle home to vampires and crypts? Or like her mother, a witch’s hut full of spells and smells? If only she were haunted! Then she’d be less ordinary . . . What will it take for Clarissa to go from adorable to horrible?
10. 👻🩲Monster tales for kids
Join Jasper Rabbit as he embarks on a spooky adventure after picking out a pair of glow-in-the-dark underwear that won’t stop haunting him. With its clever humor and charming illustrations, this book is a hilarious read for kids who love a good scare! 👻🩲
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Jasper Rabbit is NOT a little bunny anymore. He’s not afraid of the dark, and he’s definitely not afraid of something as silly as underwear. But when the lights go out, suddenly his new big rabbit underwear glows in the dark. A ghoulish, greenish glow. If Jasper didn’t know any better he’d say his undies were a little, well, creepy. Jasper’s not scared obviously, he’s just done with creepy underwear. But after trying everything to get rid of them, they keep coming back!
11. 🛍️👹 Supernatural children’s books
Step into the creepy and kooky world of The Little Shop of Monsters, where kids can choose their own pet monster! With its interactive format and playful storytelling, this book is perfect for kids who love a spooky twist on the classic pet store tale! 🛍️👹
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Welcome to The Little Shop of Monsters! Do you want a sneezer? A tickler? Or one of the creepiest monsters of all? Come on in and choose your favorite, if you dare (before one of them chooses you!).
12. 📖😱 Halloween picture books
Brace yourself for a spine-tingling adventure as the narrator tries to escape from the scariest book ever written. With its hilarious premise and interactive format, this book is a must-read for kids who love a good scare! 📖😱
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Reader beware! This is the scariest book ever! Or so claims its melodramatic ghost narrator. Go ahead and turn the page, but don’t expect him to come with you. Anything might pop out of that black hole in the middle of the forest! What do you mean, it’s just a bunny? Well, it’s probably a bunny with big fangs! Despite the ghost’s fear-mongering, none of the animal characters seem very scary at all…. What’s up with that?
13. 🌌🕯️Friendly ghost stories
Join Laszlo as he confronts his fear of the dark and discovers that it’s not as scary as he thought. With its atmospheric illustrations and comforting message, this book is a reassuring read for kids who are afraid of the dark! 🌌🕯️
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The dark lives in the same house as Laszlo. Mostly, though, the dark stays in the basement and doesn’t come into Lazslo’s room. But one night, it does.
This is the story of how Laszlo stops being afraid of the dark.
14. 🚪🗝️ Not-too-scary children’s books
Step into the eerie world of Coraline, where a young girl discovers a parallel universe that’s not as perfect as it seems. With its haunting imagery and spine-tingling suspense, this book is a modern classic that’s sure to leave readers spellbound! 🚪🗝️
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When Coraline steps through a door to find another house strangely similar to her own (only better), things seem marvelous.
But there’s another mother there, and another father, and they want her to stay and be their little girl. They want to change her and never let her go.
Coraline will have to fight with all her wit and courage if she is to save herself and return to her ordinary life.
15. 🎨👹 Ghastly tales for young readers
Confront your fears with this empowering picture book that helps kids overcome their fear of monsters. With its bold illustrations and reassuring message, this book is perfect for kids who need a little extra courage! 🎨👹
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Watch the Big Green Monster grow before their very eyes. Then, when they’re ready to show him who’s in charge, they’ll turn the remaining pages and watch him disappear!
16. 🧹🌙 Creepy tales for children
Join the witch and her animal friends as they embark on a magical adventure aboard a broomstick. With its delightful rhymes and charming illustrations, this book is a whimsical read that’s perfect for Halloween! 🧹🌙
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The witch and her cat are happily flying through the sky on a broomstick when the wind picks up and blows away the witch’s hat, then her bow, and then her wand! Luckily, three helpful animals find the missing items, and all they want in return is a ride on the broom. But is there room on the broom for so many friends? And when disaster strikes, will they be able to save the witch from a hungry dragon?
17. 🌿👑 Childhood favorite scary story
Journey to the land of the Wild Things with Max as he discovers the power of imagination and the importance of home. With its timeless story and iconic illustrations, this book is a classic tale of childhood wonder that’s perfect for kids of all ages! 🌿👑
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Let the wild rumpus continue as this classic comes to life like never before with new reproductions of Maurice Sendak’s artwork. Astonishing state-of-the-art technology faithfully captures the color and detail of the original illustrations. Sendak himself enthusiastically endorsed this impressive new interpretation of his art.
18. 🔥👻 Scary books for tweens
Gather around the campfire and prepare to be terrified by these spine-tingling tales of ghosts, ghouls, and things that go bump in the night. With its creepy illustrations and chilling stories, this book is a must-read for kids who love a good scare! 🔥👻
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This is a new edition of the complete original book. Stephen Gammell’s artwork from the original Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark appears in all its spooky glory. Read if you dare!
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is a timeless collection of chillingly scary tales and legends, in which folklorist Alvin Schwartz offers up some of the most alarming tales of horror, dark revenge, and supernatural events of all time.
19. 🏠👧👻 Eerie picture books for children
Join a brave little girl as she explores a spooky haunted house and discovers the friendly ghosts that inhabit it. With its whimsical illustrations and heartwarming storyline, this book is a delightful read for kids who love a good ghost story! 🏠👧👻
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In a big old house at the edge of town there`s a spooky surprise in store… But who`s afraid of a few ghosts? Not this little girl!
20. 🌑💀Ghost stories for young readers
Brace yourself for a collection of spine-tingling tales that will send shivers down your spine. From ghosts and monsters to haunted houses and eerie encounters, this book is perfect for kids who love a good scare! 🌑💀
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Shivering skeletons, ghostly pirates, chattering corpses, and haunted graveyards…all to chill your bones! Share these seven spine-tingling stories in a dark, dark room.
21. 🐻🌳👻 Children’s spine-chilling horror books
Join the Berenstain Bears as they explore a spooky old tree and encounter all sorts of creepy creatures along the way. With its lovable characters and gentle scares, this book is a perfect introduction to the world of spooky stories for young readers! 🐻🌳👻
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Three brave little bears explore the inside of a mysterious old tree and go into, up, through, over, down, and out.
22. 🎃🐎💀 Spooky horror books for kids
Follow Ichabod Crane as he encounters the Headless Horseman in this classic tale of horror and suspense. With its atmospheric illustrations and thrilling storyline, this book is a must-read for kids who love a good scare! 🎃🐎💀
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There is magic and mystery surrounding the vale of Sleepy Hollow. It is home to a host of ghostly sounds and goblin spectres, none more infamous than the Headless Horseman. This figure rides out in the witching hour of night. If one is not careful, a traveller can lose everything in one evening – their wits, their heart, their head…
23. 📚😱 Goosebumps-inspired books for kids
Enter the world of Goosebumps and prepare to be terrified by Slappy the Dummy’s spine-tingling tales of horror. With its creepy stories and eerie illustrations, this book is a must-read for fans of the Goosebumps series! 📚😱
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Four Goosebumps Graphix tales by master of horror R. L. Stine are adapted into full-color comics and feature a brand-new Slappy story by bestselling author, Dave Roman.
24. 🧙♀️🍽️ Mysterious adventures for children
Join the witch and her cat as they cook up a delicious feast with the help of some unsuspecting children. With its dark humor and clever twists, this book is a wickedly fun read that’s perfect for kids who love a good scare! 🧙♀️🍽️
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I love children. Eating them, that is. So begins this funny, nail-biting adventure for readers who love Roald Dahl and Adam Gidwitz. Called “funny and subversive” by USA Today and a “literary treat” by The New Yorker, the book blends humor and adventure, adds sibling arguments while mixing well and goes down in a single, surprising gulp. For dessert, read the harrowing, humorous sequel The Witch’s Curse.
25. 🏠🐺 Ghastly tales for young readers
Follow Lucy as she discovers that the wolves in the walls of her house might not be as imaginary as she thought. With its eerie illustrations and suspenseful storyline, this book is a thrilling read that’s perfect for fans of Neil Gaiman! 🏠🐺
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Lucy is sure there are wolves living in the walls of their house—and, as everybody says, if the wolves come out of the walls, it’s all over. Her family doesn’t believe her. Then one day, the wolves come out.
But it’s not all over. Instead, Lucy’s battle with the wolves is only just beginning.
There are sneaking, creeping, crumpling noises coming from inside the walls…
26.🕷️🖤 Haunted adventures for kids
Meet the kooky and spooky Addams Family as they embark on a series of misadventures that are sure to leave readers in stitches. With its quirky characters and dark humor, this book is a delightful read for fans of the Addams Family! 🕷️🖤
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The Addams family isn’t your typical American family. Together, Gomez, Morticia, Wednesday, Pugsley, Mad Uncle Fester, and Grandma are an eccentric clan who delight in the macabre and are unaware that people find them a bit different than the rest of the neighborhood.
27. 🧛♂️📖 Children’s spine-chilling horror
Explore the fascinating world of monsters with this fun and informative guidebook! From werewolves to vampires and everything in between, young readers will delight in learning about the spooky creatures that lurk in the shadows. With colorful illustrations and easy-to-understand explanations, Monsters 101 is a must-have for any budding monster enthusiast! 🧛♂️📖
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Monsters! They’re so much more than just that scary thing under your bed. Join Professors Batula McFang, Blobbins, and Howlsworth, and their trusty lab assistant–a zombie named Tina–as they reveal eerie and frankly ridiculous monster facts, never uttered outside a crypt!
📚👻From friendly ghosts to mischievous monsters, spooky picture books offer a thrilling adventure for young readers aged 7-11. Whether they’re exploring haunted houses, encountering supernatural creatures, or facing their fears, these stories captivate children’s imaginations and instill a love of reading that will last a lifetime. 📚👻
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