10 Innovative Ideas for World Book Day

Why is World Book Day important?

Designed to encourage people across the world to celebrate books and reading, World Book Day was first started  back in April 1995 – with the first World Book Day in the UK and Ireland happening shortly after, in 1997. Its mission is to ‘promote reading for pleasure’, and to work to ensure that each and every child has the opportunity to access books of their own.

Originally created by UNESCO, it’s still celebrated in more than 100 countries around the world to this day – and continues to have a lasting impact when it comes to promoting the magic of reading amongst children. Baroness Gail Rebuck, the founder of World Book Day, said: “We wanted to do something to reposition reading and our message is the same today as it was then – that reading is fun, relevant, accessible, exciting, and has the power to transform lives.”

How do World Book Day’s £1 books work?

A large part of the World Book Day ethos is around its £1 book scheme. These are intended to be a gift from booksellers and publishers, helping all children have access to books of their own. 

As a charity sponsored by National Book Tokens. World Book Day works with publishers to create a list of £1 books that are designed to appeal to all children – regardless of age, reading ability, or general interests. 

Once this list is approved by the charity’s trustees, the publishers produce the £1 books – covering all of the costs. These are then available for children to buy, in exchange for the £1 token they’re given. You can find a list of participating retailers on the World Book Day website, which includes many major chains and supermarkets. 

Don’t forget that the redemption period for World Book Day runs from Thursday 16th February until Sunday 26th March 2023 – so be sure to pop into a retailer and help your child choose their new book before the deadline!

World Book Day costume ideas 

If, like so many other parents, you’re stuck for a costume idea for your little one again this year, use the following prompts as inspiration. 

There’s nothing wrong with sticking with the classics, especially if you can give them your own unique twist. Have a dig about in the back of the wardrobe, chances are there’ll be a few dressing up bits you can repurpose for a hassle-free, last-minute costume.

• Harry Potter: A fan favourite, many children enjoy dressing up as characters from J.K.Rowling’s book series. Some popular choices include Harry, Ron Weasley, Dobby, Dumbledore, and Hermione Granger. Any floaty, dark fabric you have lying around would make for an excellent cloak.
• Where’s Wally: If you’ve got a pair of striped tights laying around, a Where’s Wally costume is perfect. This popular ‘search and find’ book is created by British Illustrator, Martin Handford.
• Matilda: This age-old classic by Roald Dahl is a quick and simple option as your child only has to wear their school uniform — unless, that is, they wish to dress as Miss Trunchbull. In which case, you better be on the hunt for an army uniform and chunky belt. This year, owing to the release of Matilda The Musical, we’re expecting to see much more of this costume.
• Dr Zeuss: Due to the colourful, whimsical nature of Dr Zeuss’s  illustrations, his characters often come out to play on World Book Day with children choosing anything from The Cat in The Hat, Thing 1 and 2,  The Lorax or The Grinch.
• The Very Hungry Caterpillar: For younger children, this one is always very popular — and has been since it was written in 1969 by Eric Carle. Though, much to the dismay of parents everywhere, often involves green face paint. 
• The Gruffalo: Another popular choice among young children, The Gruffalo is a large, hairy beast with horns and gleaming yellow eyes — according to the book created by Julia Donaldson. Though this one may be harder to conjure up at the last minute, if you can do it, the results are always impressive.

Keep reading

At the end of the day, while the dressing up part certainly is fun, World Book Day really is all about the books. What’s important is celebrating the power of a good book and the lessons it can teach us. 

Keen to read more? Use our latest book reviews for some inspiration to get started. Or, dip into certain genres like Biography or Crime.