Japanese and English Halloween Picture Books for Babies and Toddlers

ねないこ だれだ

This book is a classic in Japan that was originally published in 1969 but is still popular today. It looks at different creatures that are awake at night, including a ghost, and a child who can’t sleep (ねないこ, nenaiko). It’s not exactly about Halloween but it’s definitely spooky enough for the season. My daughter first read this book at daycare and I was surprised that she wasn’t afraid of the ghost — in fact, she learned the Japanese word for ghost (おばけ, obake) thanks to this book!

Note that this is the only book on this list that is not a board book, though it is a hardcover.

ハロウィンのかくれんぼ

かくれんぼ (kakurenbo) means “hide-and-seek” in Japanese and on each page, a Halloween-themed object or creature is hiding and waiting to be revealed with a turn of the page. The shapes and colors are excellent for stimulating your child’s imagination and the book has plenty of pages so there’s a lot for your baby or toddler to discover as you ask them what or who could possibly be hidden within the page (“なにかな?/Nani ka na?“, “だれかな?/Dare ka na?“). Some of the text is also in both Japanese and English, making it perfect for bilingual babies.

へんしん！おばけちゃん

This sturdy and interactive board book follows the adventures of different ghosts (おばけ, obake) that can change (へんしん, henshin) into something else on every page with a swipe of a finger or a pull of a tab. The contrasting colors also make this a great book for babies as young as newborns. It’s a short book but my daughter loves it.

ハロウィン なあに

In this book, children try to guess what Halloween characters are hiding behind the flaps. The flaps are as big as the page and have colorful illustrations on the other side as well, so it’s quite fun for children to look at. And although it has plenty of pages, it’s an incredibly light book, which makes it very portable. However, if you have a child who likes to destroy books, you might want to steer clear of this one as it isn’t the most durable.

ハロウィン いないいないばあ！

いないないばあ! (inai inai baa) means “peek-a-boo!” and is a game children from all around the world know and love, and my daughter is no exception. She’s especially fond of saying ばあ! (baa!) so this book was perfect for her. This is another pull-the-flap book in which your child tries to find where the different adorable Halloween monsters are hiding, but unlike other books, the colorful flaps are felt, making it a fun sensory activity for your child. The flaps are also very easy to lift and the text is minimal, so if you want to introduce pull-the-flap books to your baby, this is an excellent one to start with. The author of this book is Swedish and there’s an English version too, which you can find here.

Find Spot at Halloween

Spot the Dog books are classics so of course I had to get one of several Halloween versions for my daughter who adores Spot (her father has become a fan too!). Like all Spot books, this book has flaps that you or your child can lift to see what’s hiding underneath. My daughter loves books with flaps — a little too much sometimes, I can’t count the number of times I’ve had to glue flaps back on, but the look on her face makes it worth it.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar’s CREEPY-CRAWLY HALLOWEEN

Another favorite of my daughter is The Very Hungry Caterpillar. This book and all of its related toys and other products are very popular in Japan, which is why I bought this Halloween version to read to her daycare classmates. In this book, the caterpillar journeys through an autumn night and discovers creepy crawly things hiding under flaps. The illustrations are colorful and the cover is iridescent, giving it a magical appearance. I also quite liked the simple, rhyming text.

Spooky Boo: A Halloween Adventure 

When I was checking out English-language Halloween books in the MARUZEN near Tokyo Station, I knew immediately that this book would be a hit with my daughter, and I wasn’t wrong. She pulls it out herself from her little bookshelf and asks me to read it several times in a row! In this book, your child follows a character named Spooky Boo throughout a haunted house and meets many other spooky characters. It is fun and interactive, with flaps to lift, mirrors to see your (or is it?) reflection, and feel something… sticky?!

My daughter especially loves it if I say “Spooky Boo!” in a loud and ridiculous voice. The look on her face makes reading this book over, and over, and over again worth it. (Personally, I think the writing could be better but hey, I guess that’s what makes it perfect for babies and toddlers!) I also read this book to my daughter’s classmates when I visited her daycare and they loved it!

Boo, Boo, I love you!

This is an adorable board book with colorful pages that is especially perfect for babies. The top has a triangular piece of felt that changes into different things, from a raccoon’s ear to a spider’s hat, so it’s stimulating for a toddler’s imagination and nice for babies to touch and feel. It’s a short, simple, and sweet little Halloween book.

My Little Pony: Tricks and Treats

When my daughter was three, she started getting into My Little Pony (which I was very happy about). Paired with Halloween, this book was absolutely perfect for her. It also comes with more than 50 stickers, and she didn’t waste any time putting those in her sticker book from Nishimatsuya. 

I also liked how the book has a cute message in it, which is perfect for kids as they grow and learn how to socialize and understand others.

Note that this is not a board book, so it is a little flimsy but doesn’t take up that much room.