Woooo!  Woooo!  It's that beautiful, spooky time of year when trees are more colorful than ever and pumpkins, hay bales, corn stalks and gourds are decorations indoors and out.

It's finally October (my favorite month of the year)!  This is the month that I bring out all of my Fall decorations and a pile of Autumn and Halloween books for my preschooler and I to read.  These books are colorful and imaginative and not at all frightening.  If anything, these books are about bravery and friendship.  

If you are seeking some great fall or halloween reading for your little one, see my list below that I have compiled in the usual Top 10 Style:   

Top Ten Halloween Books for the Preschooler

Number 10

The book occupying the number 10 space on our Halloween book countdown is Clifford's Halloween by Norman Bridwell.  Mr. Bridwell holds two spots on our countdown this time.  This simple book features the world famous Clifford (The Big Red Dog) and Emily and their quest to find the perfect costume for Clifford.  This book also has a good summary of the major American holidays.

Number 9 

The number 9 book features the lovable fuzzy and blue characters (Grover and Herry Monster) from Sesame Street and, of course, everyone's favorite monster, ELMO.  Which Witch is Which by Michaela Muntean is an entertaining book for the Sesame Street Lover.  In this book, five of the monsters decide to dress as witches and challenge their neighbors on Sesame Street to guess "Which Witch is Which".

Number 8 

At spot number 8, we visit Clifford, again, but this time we visit him during his puppy days in Clifford's First Halloween.  This comical book shows the mishaps that can befall a young girl and her puppy before and during a children's Halloween party.  If your child likes to chuckle, they will love this book!

Number 7

A cuter than pie book called Happy Halloween Emily! by Claire Masurel visits a young bunny named Emily and her three friends as they discuss the upcoming Halloween Parade.  Emily's friends try to scare her by warning her of the MONSTERS that will be present at the parade.  Emily is brave and decides to go to the parade anyway.  While there, she discovers that those "scary" monsters are just her friends in their costumes.  There is nothing to fear!!!  This book is great for the young one that may be spooked by Halloween frivolity.

Number 6

Like number 7, this book is also too cute for words.  Spookley's Costume Party by Joe Troiano is a rhyming book with flaps on every page.  It's a good interactive book for kids and helps them distinguish those words that sound alike.  In this book, the main character (Spookley) is a square pumpkin that observes the merriment on Halloween and wants to wear a costume, too.  Which one will be the best fit?  You'll have to read to find out!

Number 5  

Spot number 5 has been filled by a book featuring one of my favorite characters, Dragon created by Dav Pilkey.  Dragon's Halloween contains three short Halloween stories to thrill your young one.  The mildly frightening third story features a growling entity in the woods that Dragon discovers is actually his stomach.  He is able to satisfy the growling with a little food toward the end. 

Number 4 

Hey, it's Franklin who will occupy our number 4 spot on the countdown!  Franklin's Halloween by Paulette Bourgeois and Brenda Clark is one of the many Franklin stories that has also been animated for television.  The text is a little long, but still thoroughly enjoyable for a preschooler.  This book is a little more frightening then the others, but we still learn in the end that there is nothing to fear. 

Number 3

Jonathan London does it again with his lovable character Froggy in Froggy's Halloween and wins the number 3 spot on our list.  London's style and fun sound effects makes this a favorite book for many preschoolers....especially if the reader can talk with a Transylvanian accent!!!!

Number 2

We're getting close to the number 1 spot, are you excited?  If you like to sing to your books, then our number 2 book, There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bat, should tickle your fancy much like the fly tickled the old lady in a similar tale.  In this story, the old lady swallows a list of unlikely creatures in a effort to rid her tummy of the first thing she swallowed...the bat.  It's goofy and silly, but it's a classic!

Number 1

Our number 1 award goes to The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams. This is a great book for the preschooler!  It encourages interaction for the listener and instills a sense of bravery.  Not only was the little old lady not afraid, she sought to help the little boogeys that tried to scare her and soon found out that they couldn't. 

Conclusion

If your child loves books, then get them into the autumn spirit with the Halloween books listed above.  Have a safe and Happy Halloween! 

This is one part in a series of guides about Preschool Enrichment.  For additional information and activities, please see my guide Preschool Enrichment for Active Boys and Girls.

For a great Halloween scissor exercise for small motor development, please see my guide Preschool Craft for Autumn/Fall: Funky Pumpkin.

If you found this guide to be helpful in anyway, please vote "Yes" below.  I appreciate it!

Copyright 2006 Angela Vawter (hugawayfromhome)