Roundups

Family Halloween Costumes Inspired by Our Favorite Books!

Inspired costumes with incredible backstories.

By Hollis  9/30/22

Who doesn't love a literary-inspired costume! Dorothy and the gang, Peter Pan and Tink, Pippi, Huckleberry, and Harry are all iconic costumes with the added bonus of a good read in prep for the big night. We've gathered up some of our favorite Hullabaloo books that also happen to provide some pretty fantastic inspiration for this year's costume contests. We hope they inspire outfits for the whole fam!

ABC What Can I Be has SO many great ideas for profession-based costumes. We love the idea of a florist family costume with mom and dad in aprons and the kids dressed up as flowers and plants. Meteorologist family would be adorable with two weather-parents in business attire and kiddos dressed as weather events. 

A Sick Day for Amos McGee is a PRECIOUS story about an elderly gent who works at the zoo and a special visit from his animal friends on a day he has to stay home sick. While we personally think toddlers costumed as the geriatric population is hysterical, how cute would a little toddler menagerie be? Rhino in a scarf? Penguin carrying the red balloon? Plus a costume for an adult that involves pajamas? Doesn't get any better than that!

Emily Winfield Martin's books are PACKED with inspiration but Day Dreamers and Dream Animals are full of particularly magical ideas. Dragons, giant swans, sea serpents, narwhals, woodland nymphs, moon sprites, and an animal marching band grace the pages of these glorious books. Inspiration aplenty.

I know a lion and a duck sound like a random sibling pairing but not when it's inspired by this sweet read! In How to Be a Lion, Leonard the Lion and Marianne the Duck are animal besties and together they defend their unexpected bond in kind and communicative ways. There are so many easy DIY options here but what we love most is the message to stand up for your friendships by being your authentic self.

A family of superheroes is never a bad idea! We love a costume made entirely of household supplies but we also love that Even Superheroes Have Bad Days explains that when a superhero is going through a rough patch, they still have the power to take deep breaths in the face of a tantrum, always say I'm sorry, and help fix their mistakes. These lessons will come in handy when it comes time to share the Halloween candy! 

Lastly, you can never go wrong with a classic! Pumpkin, black cat, and white ghost are halloween costume royalty and how fun would a family of these three characters be? Whatever your family chooses, we know you'll look fantastic. Have a safe and happy Halloween!