I may or may not be obsessed with Hocus Pocus. I tend to quote it no matter the season, running AMOK AMOK AMOK with joy when it’s acceptable to start my annual rewatch. Or five. I am a bit of a scaredy cat when it comes to Halloween things, and Hocus Pocus is a perfect blend of silly, a tiny bit scary (we love you Billy Butcherson, but your introduction was frightening at first), and a whole lot of fun! And it’s a great movie for all ages. So if you have a little witch or goblin who is shaping up to be a Hocus Pocus fan, may we also suggest these picture books?
A classic nursery rhyme with a Halloween twist! When Halloween tricksters gather after dusk, they sing, “The Wheels on the Bus” in order to cause a fright. Not to worry though, there will only be silly screams of delight with this one! Featuring a cast of silly monsters who aren’t quite what they seem, it’s a spooky-fun reimagining of a beloved song. This is one that you and your little ones will be chanting all around town!
This would have been my ideal read for Halloween as a kid! Yes, there are witches and spiders and ghosts but it’s more cozy than creepy. A trio of witches need a place to brew their magic, and a spooky old house down a dark road looks just right. But as the witches work the house grows warmer and brighter and you have to wonder just what kind of spell they’re casting…It’s a not-so-spooky story with a surprise ending that celebrates the best type of magic: the kind that’s shared with friends.
As Thackery Binx would warn, you never know what might happen on Halloween. And you should be warned, because the prehistoric tricksters of the bestselling What the Dinosaurs did series have one goal—stocking up on candy! These delightfully mischievous dinosaurs get up to all kinds of misadventures at night and while it might seem like a skeleton, or a ghost, or a wolfman, knocking at your door, it’s not. It’s dinos. They’re determined to get treats and it could get tricky if they don’t!
One of the best parts about Hocus Pocus is the perfect autumn setting. It’s crunchy leaves and crisp air and scarves and pumpkins and cider and Halloween costumes and spooky stories and ahhhh IT’S FALL! So basically, if you love fall, you’re going to adore this celebrating of all things this season brings.
If you and your family love Hocus Pocus because of all the laughs, you’ll have to read Crankenstein’s Halloween tale. Even the grumpiest kiddos will cheerfully gobble up this delicious story! Crankenstein’s favorite day of all—Halloween—has gone rotten! Costume disasters, pumpkin-carving nightmares, and a terribly untimely toothache! MEHHRRRR!!! Can Halloween be saved?
