Ghost Stories

At ages 3-4, my preschooler loved what he called “spooky” books — they were books that had ghosts, monsters, and creepy drawings, but they weren’t actually scary. Here’s a list of 6 not-so-scary ghost stories for your preschooler to enjoy:

The Little Ghost Who Lost Her Boo! by Elaine Bickell and Raymond McGrath–

In this rhyming story, a young ghost is in search of her missing “boo.” She meets many animals that make sounds similar to “boo,” but they just aren’t quite right. Preschoolers will love mimicking the sounds they hear in the story and will enjoying McGrath’s fantastic illustrations. Check your library for this book to see if the little ghost ever finds her missing “boo.”

Leo, a Ghost Story by Mac Barnett with illustrations by Christian Robinson–

Friends come in different shapes, sizes, and forms, including ghosts. A ghost is looking for a friend, but he accidently scares people away with his attempts at making friends. When he stumbles across a little girl who can see him and who isn’t afraid, Leo is excited to finally have someone to play with. However, his friend thinks he is imaginary, not a ghost. Not wanting to scare her away with the truth, Leo doesn’t tell he is actually a ghost. When a robber breaks into the girl’s home during the night, Leo springs into action, leaving the little girl to wonder how an imaginary friend was able to help capture the bad guy. It is the moment of truth: will the girl be afraid of a ghost or will they stay friends? Read this one to find out 🙂

The Scariest Book Ever by Bob Shea —

My son LOVES this story about a ghost who is scared of the dark woods surrounding its home. The ghost refuses to leave his house and comes up with all sorts of silly excuses as to why it needs to stay home, rather than admit that it is scared. The reader, however, isn’t scared and goes out to investigate. Turns out the woods are not so scary after all! Can the ghost be convinced that it is safe to venture out and enjoy the fun? A funny and clever “spooky” story.

Ghosts in the House by Kazuno Kohara —

A girl and her cat move into a haunted house! Turns out this little girl is actually a witch and she knows exactly what to do with ghosts! This is a fairly short book, with not a lot of text per page. The illustrations are done in orange and black and really capture the reader’s attention. Your preschooler will enjoy studying the pictures and seeing the girl’s creative uses for ghosts.

Gustavo, the Shy Ghost by Flavia Z. Drago —

Gustavo really wants to make friends with the other ghoulish monsters, but he is too shy to talk to anyone. This book really shows the struggles that shy people go through and how they sometimes feel invisible. Determined to make friends, Gustavo invites his classmates to attend his violin concert. They all come out in support of him! From here out, they all become friends 🙂

Ten Timid Ghosts by Jennifer O’Connell —

This is a cute, preschool counting book featuring ghosts! A mean with moves into the ghosts’ home and causes them to flee. Preschoolers can help count the ghosts as the flee and gather in the woods. The 10 ghosts form a plan to retake their house by Halloween night! Get this one from you library and find out if the ghosts’ plan works 🙂

Check out my other posts for book recommendations and fall activities to enjoy with your little one: FALL-THEME post and APPLE post.