Today marks the launch of World Book Day 2016! I love World Book Day-it was especially exciting for me when I was still teaching. The pupils all had such a lovely day at school coming in dressed as their favourite characters, sharing their favourite books and reading lots of stories. One year we all dressed in pyjamas and nightgowns, read bedtime stories to each other and sang lullaby- it was like having a “duvet day” but in school.
My own kids love stepping into their much loved stories and dressing up as their favourite characters. Some years we make a costume, other times we customise an outfit suitable for a character and other years we buy one, which always comes in handy as an addition to the fancy dress box.
This year to celebrate World Book Day, Sainsbury’s has designed and created a selection of bright and colourful children’s dress up costumes – each inspired by a famous storybook or fairy tale character. I’m sure you can guess from our photos what characters the girls chose to dress up as…
Rebecca chose to be Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz, L. Frank Baum.
These costumes have intricate
attention to detail and use only the highest quality fabrics, so Rebecca could channel her inner Dorothy with fun and flare.
The Dorothy Costume even features the infamous red sequin shoe covers which easily transform black school shoes into a pair of magical slippers that Dorothy would be proud of.
I love the glitter detail, iridescent mesh and puff sleeves.
It also comes with a printed pouch (handy to carry the book to school) and a cut-out of Dorothy’s dog Toto.
Isabelle loves nursery rhymes and traditional stories, so she chose to be Little Red Riding Hood.
This outfit is very striking and also such fun to wear.
As well as the essential red hood and shawl, it also features a detailed dress with pinafore.
Little Red Riding Hood also has her basket to carry to Grandma’s (again handy for the book) and a full petticoat skirt which I’m very envious of.
It’s easy to put on, comfortable to wear and looks amazing! The good quality really stands out compared to some fancy dress outfits the kids have worn in the past.
Lastly, Caitlyn decided to dress as Harry Potter. She’s always loved the films and having the books read to her but she’s now able to reread them to herself and gets completely engrossed in them. It’s strange to think that when I read the first Harry Potter book, the films hadn’t even been planned then.
This costume is great- it features the black Gryffindor Cloak and tie, along with sound and light-up wand (requires batteries), book cover and round spectacles so she can be just like Harry.
I am so excited that we now have a Harry potter costume for one of the kids to wear during our next visit to Hogwarts! I hope they’ll sell adult versions soon too.
World Book Day is such a great initiative. I commend the £1 World Book Day books that can be bought in exchange for the £1 World Book Day tokens.
Emma Brewster, from Sainsbury’s Book Team, said:
“It’s fantastic to see that so many parents get involved in reading bedtime stories by
putting on voices and wearing costumes to bring characters to life. Encouraging children
to role play through dress up and becoming Alice in Wonderland or Harry Potter is
crucial in the development of imagination from an early age and cultivating a love of
reading. To help you celebrate World Book Day this year, we have a great selection of
children’s costumes and books in store for fans of fiction of all ages.”
Emma Bunton, radio presenter and mum of two, who hosted the Make Believe
launch added:
“My children have always loved reading and dressing up and we like to encourage it as
much as possible. It’s a brilliant way for them to express themselves and allows them to
let their imaginations soar and become their favourite literary hero’s”
To celebrate the nation’s week of reading, Sainsbury’s is encouraging children to read more by
exploring the world of books and dress up as their favourite fictional characters.
All costumes are available in store and online at www.tuclothing.sainsburys.co.uk
Thank you to Sainsbury’s for sending us the World Book Day Costumes.
Brilliant. They all look so good. Wish they would do WBD in work lol xxx