9 Picture Books for Kids with October Birthdays

Creepy Carrots, by Aaron Reynolds and Peter Brown
Jasper Rabbit is a happy bunny, munching carrots that he pulls from Crackenhopper Field on his way to school. But although Jasper’s carrot crunching seems innocent, he should know that something uncanny is afoot: all the illustrations in the book he stars in are black and white, with orange touches, giving the funny pictures an ominous vibe. One day, the carrots start following Jasper. His parents assure him that no carrots are menacing him, but Jasper can’t feel safe until he builds an impenetrable enclosure around the carrots in the field…which may be just what the carrots wanted all along.

Flashlight Night, by Matt Forrest Esenwine and Fred Koehler
This book features three friends exploring the dark spaces around them with the help of a trusty flashlight. But what that light reveals is entirely unexpected, from an Egyptian tomb in the basement, to a tiger-infested forest, and a pirate ship in the backyard. This book pays tribute to kids’ active imaginations, and the way that the dark of night encourages their flights of fancy.

Little Shop of Monsters, by R.L. Stine and Marc Brown
What month is the birthday of kid horror master R.L. Stine, author of the ever-popular Goosebumps and Fear Street series? October, of course! If your child is too young to delve into his chilling chapter books for older readers, start with this picture book about a store selling a variety of monsters, from the constantly-eating Snacker to the putrid pair, Stinky and Smelly.

Brother Sun, Sister Moon: Saint Francis of Assisi’s Canticle of the Creatures, by Katherine Paterson and Pamela Dalton 
The children’s author with the best October birthday of all might be Katherine Paterson, who was born on Halloween. She’s known for her classic tearjerker chapter book Bridge to Terabithia, but she’s written a number of picture books too, including this charming one based on her retelling of St. Francis of Assisi’s “Canticle of Creatures.” Pamela Dalton’s intricate cut-paper illustrations on black backgrounds lend this story a beautiful autumnal atmosphere.

A Picnic in October, by Eve Bunting
“A picnic in October!” the narrator exclaims, as he and his parents make their way to Battery Park in New York City with picnic supplies, “It’s dumb!” His mom tells him, “This is the way Grandma wants it.” As the family journeys by ferry to Liberty Island and sets up their picnic by the feet of the Statue of Liberty, the kids begin to understand the point of this chilly-weather adventure: Grandma, an immigrant from Italy, wants to wish Lady Liberty a happy birthday. “When I came from the old country,” she says, “I came out here and I said. ‘Thank you, Lady Liberty. Thank you for taking me in.’ I spoke in Italian, of course, but she understands all languages.” Any kid can be proud of sharing a birthday month with the Statue of Liberty.

Her Right Foot, by Dave Eggers and Shawn Harris
A very important American immigrant celebrates her birthday this month—the Statue of Liberty, who was dedicated on October 28, 1886. She will turn 132 this year, but she still looks as fresh as the day she turned green, a little more than a hundred years ago. That’s right—she stared off her life as a brown statue, and as the copper oxidized, she turned blue-green, around 1920. You’ll learn this and other fun facts in this engaging book by Dave Eggers, illustrated in appealing fashion by Shawn Harris through a combination of cut paper and ink drawings. Lady Liberty, who was born in France, has a right foot that is “obviously in mid-stride,” symbolizing the fact, Eggers writes, that “if the Statue of Liberty has welcomed millions of immigrants to the United States, then how can she stand still? Liberty and freedom from oppression are not things you get or grant by standing around like some kind of statue.”

Thanks a Million, by Nikki Grimes and Cozbi A. Cabrera
Nikki Grimes, winner of the prestigious Children’s Literature Legacy Award in 2017, will turn 68 on October 20. The prolific poet, journalist, and author of books for kids and young adults won the Coretta Scott King Award for her novel Bronx Masquerade. Thanks A Million is a charming collection of poems for children about gratitude. “‘Thank you’/is a seed I plant/in the garden/of your heart,” Grimes writes. This is the perfect book to gently nudge your birthday kid into getting those thank you notes written.

Mary McScary, by R.L. Stine and Marc Brown
R.L. Stine, who will celebrate his 75th birthday on October 8, is best known for giving middle grade and young adult readers the shivers through his Goosebumps and Fear Street series, but it’s clear he doesn’t want young readers to miss out on a good scare. Mary McScary is the second picture book collaboration of Stine with illustrator Marc Brown, best known for his non-scary Arthur books. Readers will recognize a little bit of Arthur’s friend Francine in the over-the-top star of this story, a girl who spends all day trying to scare people. There’s only one person who won’t be scared—her cousin Harry. So Mary McScary must come up with an unexpected scaring technique.

Jimmy’s Boa and the Big Splash Birthday Bash, by Trinka Hakes Noble and Steven Kellogg
Steven Kellogg, the author and illustrator of over 90 picture books, best known for his zany drawings of sweet-faced kids and animals, will turn 76 on October 26. In this story he illustrated by Trinka Hakes Noble, he packs maximum action into each illustration as Jimmy takes his pet goldfish and his boa constrictor to SeaLand for his birthday party. Parents can use this story either as inspiration or as a cautionary tale as they plan their own kids’ parties.