top of page
Search

Halloween Cat Books for Kids

Writer: Cana Clark
Cana Clark
Oct 3
5 min read

It's time to get spooky. 🎃 Here are six new cat-themed Halloween books that were released in 2026, all perfect for ages 4 to 10!


Vampurr written by Justin Colón, illustrated by Lenny Wen

Vampurr is a picture book that almost glows. Lenny Wen's illustrations are brilliant, featuring vibrant hues in a stunning color palette of purple, green, and pink. After seeing the cover on Instagram, this was the Halloween book I was most excited to get my hands on!


Page one sets the scene: a windy graveyard overlooked by a neon orange moon. A cat and her kittens cuddle by a tombstone, and we are told that out of the six kittens, five are "perfectly ordinary." The sixth kitten arrives comically surrounded by fog and has outsized fangs, but her darling green eyes look up with perfect innocence. I loved her immediately.


A boy, Victor, living near the cemetery, notices the yowling meows of Vampurr and goes to investigate. He finds Vampurr and befriends her, even making her a cloak from his dad's favorite outfit. (Could this be foreshadowing?) Victor has to say goodbye to Vampurr when the groundskeeper adopts out the kittens, but, luckily or unluckily, no one wants a kitten who can hypnotize them or summon an army of spiders! Vampurr continues to yowl, and Victor may not be able to resist her spooky-cuteness!


I won't spoil the rest, but I really recommend Vampurr. It features one of my favorite plots when I was a kid — Child Forms Special Connection with Misunderstood Animal.


Book Info


Frankenkitty written by Maudie Powell-Tuck, illustrated by Mini Grey

Narrated by a skull, this story is full of visual gags and classic scary movie references. An inventor in a mansion full of spooky characters (a Frankenstein-coded butler, a Bride of Frankenstein maid, a mummy, etc) brings a new creature to life... Frankenkitty! The family reacts with horror, but the daughter, Olive, isn't so sure that Frankenkitty is all that awful. When things in the house go hilariously wrong, everything is blamed on Frankenkitty. The poor creature is eventually thrown out of his own maker's house! But Olive sees something in this bedraggled cat and braves the snow to rescue him and bring him home.


Every page in Frankenkitty is so fun to look at, I really recommend taking your time scanning the pages. So many hilarious jokes are tucked into the illustrations.


With a very funny narrator and art that is bursting with delightful details, Frankenkitty delivers a wry tale with a Hotel Transylvania feel. Plus, this one also features one of my favorite tropes — a child forming a bond with a misunderstood monster animal!


Book Info


Mysterious Mittens: A Moontime Cats Halloween Story written by Jordan Morris, illustrated by Charlie Mylie

If you like cozy fall colors, kitten antics, and adorable groups of friends, I think you'll love Mysterious Mittens! This is my first Moontime Cats Adventure, but I will definitely be seeking more (the only other title available at this time is Merry Mittens: A Moontime Cats Christmas Story).


Colored pencil and watercolor give this book an incredibly textured feel. I could not get over the illustrations!


The plot is delightful, with four adorable kittens preparing to trick-or-treat on Halloween Night, But uh oh, it looks like one kitten is actually a TURTLE in a cat costume! It takes the other three kittens almost the entire book before they realize this mixup, giving young readers plenty of time to laugh and point out how silly this is. (The turtle munches on a jack-o-lantern at one point, much to the confusion of the kittens).


It's sweet, has plenty of hilarious kitten expressions, and features jokes that adult and kid readers will enjoy. Oh, to live in the world of Moontime Cats....


Book Info


Cat's Halloween by Alison Murray

Cat's Halloween is perfect for kids who have lot of complaining to do, even on Halloween. What's the big whoop all about anyway? "Spidery cobwebs" and "horrible pumpkin faces..." This is a book that really gets grumpy kids.


The titular Cat is a little black cat who loves autumn and hates Halloween. When his little girl leaves him alone with all the scary Halloween-y stuff to go trick-or-treating, he ventures outside. But it's dark outside, and there are owls and witches! Honestly, the dark color pallet and imposing shadows are a bit intimidating! I love a picture book that can give you a little thrill! (After all, reading about scary things gives us the chance to practice being scared).


Cat is rescued by his witch-costumed little girl, of course, and her sweet enthusiasm for the season almost seems to work on Cat! Until he's put into his own costume... Ha! Cranky little guys are a perennial favorite in the picture book world, and Cat is no exception. Perfect for Halloween readalouds.


Book Info

Pumpkin and Beetle: Two Vampire Cats by Jannie Ho

Prepare to enter the spooky, charming world of Pumpkin and Beetle! These two vampire cats (NOT KITTENS!) live in a town called Hallowville full of witches, mummies, werewolves, and living Jack-o-lanterns. They even have a friendly ghost who haunts them named Boo.


This 80-page graphic novel is perfect for young readers who love friendship and all things spooky. The book feels like a cartoon, with big comic panels and just the right amount of words on each page. The world of Hallowville is adorable and has plenty of interesting villagers. Jokes and antics keep things fun while the plot centers around a relatable problem for kids — Pumpkin and Beetle don't have enough money to buy something they really want. I'd recommend Pumpkin and Beetle books for kids looking for their first independent read and kids who love Halloween!


(Technically, this first book came out in 2025. The second book, Pumpkin and Beetle: Super Secret Garden, released this year, but my library only had the first book).


Book Info

  • Title: Pumpkin and Beetle: Two Vampire Cats

  • Publisher: Holiday House/Candlewick Press/Holiday House/Peachtree

  • ISBN: 9780823459629

  • Author: Jannie Ho

  • Illustrator: Jannie Ho

  • Pub date: Aug 2025

  • Source: https://www.edelweiss.plus/?sku=0823459624&g=4400


The Skeleton and the Cat by Brandon James Scott

A cloaked skeleton, an old house hidden away... a very adorable black cat? Seems like an odd combination, but it works! The Skeleton and the Cat has a spooky title, but it's a charming picture book featuring a series of cozy short stories, "Wait!" you say. "A picture book of short stories? How does that work?" Artist and author Brandon James Scott makes it work!


The Skeleton and the Cat is a fabulous choice for bedtime stories and an interesting case study in narrative structure. It provides artists who are used to creating content for Instagram carousel comics a blueprint for their own picture book of short stories. This format intrigues me, but that's not the only reason I enjoyed the book. The two characters are a classic duo of grumpy/sunshine and each have plenty of personality. The Skeleton and the Cat is funny and sweet, with serious readaloud factor AND visual delight. Highly recommend!

Book Info




Comments

  • Instagram

Want to get updates on cat books?

Thanks for subscribing!

© 2035 by The Book Lover. Powered and secured by Wix

bottom of page