Children's Publishers Host Halloween Costume Parties
Staffers at several kid lit houses dressed as favorite books and characters for office costume contests.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Seasonal Events
Children's publishers and kid lit organizations hosted Halloween parties last week, with staffers donning costumes based on classic and contemporary books and characters. Candlewick Press, Holiday House, and Peachtree held their annual costume contest in their Atlanta and New York offices.
Why it matters
The office celebrations offer a glimpse into how the children's book industry marks the holiday, with staff connecting their personal costumes to the titles they publish and champion. The events also give publishing teams a chance to build camaraderie across departments and offices.
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers held a costume contest, and Milena Blue Spruce, associate editor at LBYR, won the individual category dressed as the ghost of LBYR past. The William Morrow team dressed as characters from Shrek, while the Levine Querido team dressed as characters from Vampire Girl Conquers the Night by Mariana Ruiz Johnson.
The players
Candlewick Press
Candlewick Press is an independent children's book publisher known for its picture books and illustrated titles, which held an annual costume contest in its Atlanta and New York offices.
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers is the children's imprint of the Hachette Book Group that publishes fiction and nonfiction for young readers.
Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art is a museum in Massachusetts dedicated to the art of picture books, founded by the illustrator Eric Carle.
The details
The First Book team dressed as the Sneetches and Thing 1, the Sheep Detectives, the Bats on the Bus, and the Banned Book Club, while staff at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art dressed as picture book characters. Staffers chose costumes based on their favorite characters and books, drawing on both classic and contemporary titles.
Timeline
Last week, children's publishers hosted their Halloween costume parties in late October 2026.
Industry Dynamics
Office costume contests at children's publishers echo the traditional Halloween culture of the American workplace, where staff have long used the holiday to celebrate creative work. The events show how kid lit houses extend their catalogs into internal team culture, with costumes drawn from titles such as Shrek and Dr. Seuss characters.
The costume contests and themed displays are internal office celebrations, so readers cannot attend them directly. Readers who want to see the featured books can find many of the titles, including the ones referenced in the costumes, at their local bookstore or library.
The takeaway
Office traditions like costume contests can build team culture while showcasing the books publishers champion. Readers looking for seasonal reading can browse the featured titles at their local library.
Further reading
Explore more seasonal events coverage for holiday traditions across the country.
Source note: This article includes information reported by PublishersWeekly.
