Anyone who spends a lot of time around kids will tell you each has unique — and occasionally unexpected — interests. Some kids are unicorn kids, some kids are monster truck kids, and some kids are spooky kids. With World Goth Day coming up this week, we thought we’d celebrate these little goths, witchies, and horrorhounds in the making with ten picture books bringing the eerie and macabre tone that some kids just can’t get enough of.
Dracula: A BabyLit Counting Primer by Jennifer Adams, Illustrated by Alison Oliver
Listen, sometimes the whole family is a little bit spooky! Part of the delightful BabyLit Classics series, which also features board books starring Edgar Allen Poe, Dr. Frankenstein, and the Jabberwocky, this Count-ing primer walks infants and toddlers through the numbers one to ten in a decidedly spooky style. From one gloomy castle to ten garlic flowers, pre-readers are given a crash course in early literacy and numeracy as well as an age-appropriate preview of Bram Stoker’s classic vampire tale.
Millie Fleur Saves the Night by Christy Mandin
Fans of last year’s Millie Fleur’s Poison Garden will be ecstatic to learn that Millie is back with another adventure of oddities. After convincing the town of Garden Glen that biodiversity can be fascinating and fun in the last book, now Millie must contend with the city-wide fear of the dark. The Glen’s residents are so terrified of what lurks in the shadows that they keep their lights on day and night, scaring away all the nighttime plants and creatures that Millie used to adore! Can she convince them that the dark can be their friend? Once again, Mandin cleverly combines a love of the unusual with a very subtle environmental lesson — light pollution this time — and a brilliant assurance for little readers who may also fear the darkness.
The Little Ghost Who Was a Quilt by Riel Nason, Illustrated by Byron Eggenschwiler
It’s tough to be different sometimes, even for ghosts. The little ghost in this story knows this firsthand: his parents and friends are all sheets, and he is a heavy quilt. While they can all glide and twirl and whoosh through the air, the heavy layers of his quilt limit his mobility and opportunities, and often lead to teasing from other young ghosts. While his parents try to reassure him, the little ghost can’t help but wish he were like the others… until his uniqueness sets him on an adventure that he wouldn’t have had access to otherwise. This classic story of embracing one’s unique qualities is perfect for little spooksters, who will especially appreciate the dark and moody artwork of Eggenschwiler.
Kid del Toro by Chogrin Muñoz, Illustrated by Pakoto Martinez
If there was ever a perfect case study that horrorhounds are born and not made, celebrated filmmaker Guillermo del Toro would be it. Based on del Toro’s childhood love of monsters, horror movies, and the paranormal, this bilingual title tells the tale of little Guillermo, who loves nothing more than reading about the strange and unusual, watching movies about the grotesque and macabre, and even dressing up as his favorite movie creature, Frankenstein’s monster. His abuela scolds him for these interests, insisting that they will give him nightmares, but Guillermo disagrees — until the night that one of the monsters he dreams of visits him! Has Guillermo found a new horror… or a new friend?
Mother Ghost: Nursery Rhymes for Little Monsters by Rachel Kolar, Illustrated by Roland Garrigue
A marvelous compendium for kids who find conventional nursery rhymes a bit, well, dull. With horror and gothic twists on favorites such as “The Man in the Moon” and “Old Mother Hubbard,” plus plenty of spooky rewrites like “Wee Willie Werewolf,” “Zombie Miss Muffet,” and “Mary Had a Little Ghost,” these remixes of the classic nursery rhymes of old are sure to entertain kids with a love of the ghastly. Kolar’s perfectly metered reimaginings are delightful to read aloud, and Garrigue’s spindly, creepy-but-never-scary illustrations are the perfect complement.
Mothman Baby! by Elias Barks, Illustrated by Zoe Persico
Fans of cryptids and conspiracies unite! This absolutely adorable interactive board book welcomes little readers to Point Pleasant, West Virginia, the home of the one and only Mothman. In this story, however, Mothman is just a wee little cryptid, exploring the town with some avian friends, staying out of sight of the men in black, and even stopping traffic to help a frog or two. Persico’s artwork and the lift-the-flap elements are a joy, especially in the character design of Mothman Baby, who is — we cannot stress this enough — precious. Cryptid fans will also want to check out the rest of the Hazy Dell Flap Book series; other entries star a Gray, Bigfoot, Nessie, and Krampus.
How to Make Friends with a Ghost by Rebecca Green
Better to temper expectations: according to the author, not everyone is guaranteed to have a ghostly encounter over the course of their life. However, for those with a kind heart and an open mind, a ghost may just appear and want to be their friend. Alongside solid instructions on the care and feeding of a ghost — including some hilariously yucky recipes that will surely raise some giggles out of little readers — as well as safety precautions and guidance through life changes, Green’s artwork depicts a seriously heartwarming friendship between human and ghost that mirrors the text. By the end, readers of all ages may be longing for a lifelong — and — beyond friendship of their own.
Goth Moth by Kai Lüftner, Illustrated by Wiebke Rauers, Translated by Tim Mohr
Walter the moth is a shy little fellow who lives in a dusty, musty old house in the forest, listening to his favorite artist, Jitterbug (the titular hero of this story’s prequel). Yet Walter harbors a secret: in his heart, he is a rocking drummer with rhythm thrumming from the tips of his wings to all twenty of his fingers. However, he doesn’t have the things a drummer needs, such as a drumset. Or a band. Still, Walter perfects his drum solos by playing them in his head. Then comes the day when, while attending one of Jitterbug’s concerts, a happy accident leads to Walter getting his big break. Can his drumming sound as brilliant on a drumset as it did in his head? Or will this goth moth flutter back home without taking his chance?
Vampire Jam Sandwich by Casey Lyall, Illustrated by Nici Gregory
Everyone knows what happens when a vampire bites a human, but what happens when a vamp takes a nibble of an unassuming jam sandwich? After a case of mistaken identity — the vampire thought that the red jam was… something else — a sandwich is left with the curse of vampirism, stalking the shadows of night to steal jam from other sandwich-loving kids. However, can the young narrator of this tale be trusted? Or do they have their own spooky secret hiding up their sleeve? Gregory’s hilariously exaggerated illustrations and Lyall’s riotously funny text come together for a tale that is just as much silly as it is eerie, something that little readers will laugh over until the sweet and surprising end.
Hardly Haunted by Jessie Sima
High on a hill sat a spooky old house — and that house was feeling worried. No one wanted to live in her; in fact, she thinks she might be haunted. She does everything she can to suppress her spooky qualities, her creaks and squeaks and rattles, even holding her breath to keep the creepy sounds at bay. Yet when a rushing wind causes her to scratch, howl, and groan, the house realizes something: being haunted is kind of awesome. She decides to be herself, but she’s still lonely… that is, until a very special family comes to stay. Sima’s illustrations and text beautifully embrace their gothic elements while infusing the story with heart and warmth, giving a welcome twist to the classic picture book theme of “be yourself,” culminating in an immensely satisfying and appropriately spooky ending.
We hope you and the little readers in your life enjoy these books, perfect for the young goth and/or lovers of the uncanny, weird, and slightly sinister. Happy reading (and haunting)!
Looking for more children’s books that aren’t afraid to explore the bizarre? Check out our article on Surrealist Adventures for Little Readers That Sendak Fans Will Love.
For all of our recommendations for mini bookworms, check out our Bookshop bookshelf.
