When is World Book Day 2024?
World Book Day this year falls on Thursday 7 March. Find out more and see what the £1 books are for 2024 on the World Book Day website.
If you've left it a little late, don't panic. Inspired by Mumsnet users' own tried-and-tested experiences, we've got options for all tastes and whims – here is our definitive list of the very best World Book Day costume ideas.
Short on time? Take our quiz to find the perfect costume for your child
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World Book Day costumes video
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Best World Book Day costumes to buy from Amazon
Best World Book Day costumes to buy from John Lewis
Book characters that wear normal clothes
It’s an absolute lifesaver (and definitely not a cop-out) to find some book characters look just like your average child. Simply add appropriate accessories to these “costumes” for a fuss-free World Book Day morning and the smoothest bed-to-school transition in history.
1. Harry – Harry and the Bucketful of Dinosaurs by Ian Whybrow
Normal clothes + bucket + toy dinosaurs
2. Charlie Bucket – Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
Normal clothes + golden ticket + chocolate bar
3. Sophie – Sophie's Adventures by Dick King-Smith
Normal clothes + wellies + (toy) snail
Book characters that wear pyjamas
4. Tom – Tom's Midnight Garden by Phillippa Pearce
Blue and white striped PJs
5. Sophie – The BFG by Roald Dahl
Pink nightie + jar (of dreams)
6. ‘Boy’ – The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
Yellow PJs + blue dressing gown
7. Grandmother – Little Red Riding Hood
Nightie + wolf ears/mask
8. Ben – Penguin by Polly Dunbar
Green PJs with white dots
9. Wendy – Peter Pan by J M Barrie
Light blue nightie (in the film)
Repurposed costumes for World Book Day
Let’s face it – very few of us have the time, energy or inclination to conjure up a new outfit every year, so why not try repurposing something from another fancy dress party, or last year's Halloween costume? It's eco-friendly too!
10. Charlotte the Spider – Charlotte’s Web by E B White
Spider outfit + toy pig
11. Turn a pumpkin into a Giant Peach – James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
Pumpkin outfit (ideally without a scary face on it) + toy/images of insects attached
12. Monster – Not Now, Bernard by David McKee
AKA the saddest book ever
Purple monster outfit + horns
13. Skeleton – Funnybones by Janet and Allan Ahlberg
Skeleton outfit + red top hat with blue ribbon
World Book Day costumes with a red and white stripy top
14. Wally or Wenda – Where's Wally? by Martin Hanford
Red and white striped top + bobble hat + glasses + walking stick + either blue trousers/skirt and red and white striped tights
Already done the Wally number? Try the following stripy alternatives.
15. 'Boy' – Lost & Found by Oliver Jeffers
Red and white striped top + brown/red and white striped hat + suitcase
16. Grace – Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman and Caroline Binch
Pink and white striped shirt + red (or blue) and white striped hair ribbons
17. Dave – Dogger by Shirley Hughes
White and red striped top + toy dog
18. 'Girl' – Monkey and Me by Emily Gravett
Red and white striped top + toy monkey
World Book Day costumes with a blue or black and white stripy top
19. Burglar Bill – Burglar Bill by Janet and Allan Ahlberg
Dark blue and white striped top + blue peaked cap + torch + robber mask + sack + (optional) toy cat to go in sack
20. Father Christmas – Father Christmas Goes on Holiday by Raymond Briggs
Blue and white striped top + red and white polka shorts + white sun hat + white beard
21. Julius Zebra – Julius Zebra by Gary Northfield
Black and white striped top + black and white striped tights + gladiator-type brown skirt + plastic sword
22. Grandma Swagg – Cops and Robbers by Janet and Allan Ahlberg
Blue and white striped top + black skirt + red feather boa + white wig + glasses + walking stick + black hat with purple ribbon + (optional) gold plastic jewellery
World Book Day fairy or winged costumes
23. The Fairy Godmother – Cinderella by Charles Perrault
(From the film) Purple cape/hooded dress + pink bow + grey wig + magic wand
24. Puck – A Midsummer Night's Dream by Shakespeare
Green/brown top + shorts + tights + wreath of leaves
25. Angelina Ballerina – Angelina Ballerina by Katharine Holabird and Helen Craig
Pink tutu + pink ballet shoes + mouse ears + bow + flower decoration
26. Holly Short – Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
Green top + trousers + yellow belt + wings + red wig + elf ears + plastic shooter
27. Skellig – Skellig by David Almond
Brown clothes + (ideally big) white/brown wings
28. Tinkerbell – Peter Pan by J M Barrie
Green dress + green shoes with pom-poms + magic wand + wings
World Book Day knight costumes
29. Tom – Beast Quest by Adam Blade
Brown clothes + boots + plastic shield + sword
30. Arthur – Sword in the Stone by T H White
Red tunic + yellow tights + yellow scarf + boots + sword
World Book Day costumes with Victorian clothes
31. Oliver – Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
T-shirt + brown waistcoat + three-quarter-length trousers + peaked cap + plastic bowl + scarf (optional)
32. William Beech – Goodnight, Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian
White shirt + brown blazer + shorts + knee-length socks + box with a string shoulder handle
33. Mary – The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
(In the film) White dress + red tam beret + black coat + purple scarf + hair ribbons + old-looking key
Buy now: Red beret, £5.50
34. Anne – Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Light shirt + blue or white tunic + straw hat + hair in pigtails + (optional) old-fashioned bag/suitcase
World Book Day costumes with football kit
Got a kid who's refusing to wear anything but their football kit? Fear not – there are plenty of fictional footballers out there. We're also strong supporters of children reading football annuals – reading is reading!
35. Football Academy by Tom Palmer
Any football kit
36. Girls FC by Helena Pielichaty
Football kit + tiara (optional)
37. Willy – Willy the Wizard by Anthony Browne
Football kit + monkey ears
World Book Day witch or wizard costumes
38. Mildred Hubble – The Worst Witch by Jill Murphy
Shirt + tunic + striped tie + pointy hat + hair in pigtails
39. Harry Potter/Ron Weasley/Hermione Granger/Cho Chang – Harry Potter series by J K Rowling
Black cape + white shirt + grey jumper + trousers/skirt + coloured tie dependent on Hogwarts house (red for Gryffindor) + magic wand
40. Meg - Meg and Mog by Helen Nicoll and Jan Pienkowski
Black dress + black pointy hat + black shoes with yellow buckles + black-and-white striped toy cat + cauldron + broomstick
41. Merlin – Sword in the Stone by T H White
Light blue robes + light blue pointy hat + light blue pointy shoes + white wig + white beard + spectacles + wooden staff + toy owl (optional)
42. Gandalf – The Hobbit by J R R Tolkien
Grey dress + belt + grey cape + grey pointy hat + grey shawl + grey beard + long stick
43. Dumbledore – Harry Potter series by J K Rowling
Grey/silver dressing gown + spectacles + tassel hat + white/grey beard + hairband to go around middle of beard + magic wand
44. The Witch – Room on a Broom by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler
Witch's hat + red top + purple skirt
45. Winnie – Winnie the Witch by Valerie Thomas and Korky Paul
Blue dress + purple waistcoat + red and yellow striped tights + multi-coloured pointy hat + blue shoes + magician's wand + black toy cat
World Book Day costumes by colour
Because sometimes, you've just gotta work with what you've got.
Book characters that wear red
46. Violet Baudelaire – A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket
Dark red dress + white collar + boots + pocket watch
47. Things 1 and 2 – The Cat in the Hat by Dr Seuss
Red top + red bottoms (jumpsuit if you have one) + blue wing + badge saying either 'Thing 1' or 'Thing 2'
48. Lyra Belacqua – Northern Lights by Phillip Pullman
Shirt + red dungaree dress + boots + long socks + soft toy animal (ideally a rodent) + compass
49. Stuart Little – Stuart Little by E B White
Red jumper + trousers + converse trainers + tail + mouse ears (see how to make them in the video above)
Book characters that wear orange
50. The Boy in the Dress – The Boy in the Dress by David Walliams
Orange dress + orange (or football) shoes + football
51. Charlie or Lola- Charlie and Lola by Lauren Child
Charlie: orange top with 'Charlie' on it
Lola: orange striped or floral dress + orange shoes + blue ribbons
Book characters that wear yellow
52. Fantastic Mrs Fox – Fantastic Mr Fox by Roald Dahl
Yellow dress (ideally with red dots or apples on it) + belt with paintbrushes/pencils in it + brooch + fox tail + fox ears (see our video above on how to make them)
53. Man in the Yellow Hat – Curious George by Margret and H A Rey
Yellow shirt + yellow trousers + belt + yellow tie with black polka dots + boots + yellow wide-brimmed hat + toy monkey
54. Coraline – Coraline by Neil Gaiman
(From the film) Yellow raincoat + yellow wellies + blue/purple wig + red striped tights + red skirt + red messenger bag
55. Pete – Pete the Cat by Eric Litwin and James Dean
Yellow jacket + multicoloured buttons + blue trousers + red converse + blue cat ears/mask
Book characters that wear green
56. Peter Pan – Peter Pan by J M Barrie
Green top + green trousers + green cap with red feather + brown belt with plastic sword + boots
57. Babar – Babar the Elephant by Jean de Brunhoff
Green suit jacket + green trousers + white skirt + red bow tie + elephant ears + black smart shoes + bowler hat (or crown)
58. The Little Prince – The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Green top + green trousers + red belt + red bow tie + blond wig + (optional) plastic rose
Book characters that wear blue
59. Mr Bump – Mr Men series by Roger Hargreaves
Blue clothes + bandages (or loo roll) + plasters
60. Dorothy – The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L Frank Baum
Blue and white chequered tunic + white top + white socks + red shoes + hair in pigtails + hair ribbons + basket + toy dog
61. Peter Rabbit – The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
Blue/denim jacket + white top + brown trousers + bunny ears + carrot
Buy now: Peter Rabbit costume, £25 from John Lewis
62. Madeline – Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans
Dark blue dress + white collar + red ribbon + straw boating hat + white socks + black shoes + white gloves
Book characters that wear purple
63. Sophie – The Tiger who Came to Tea by Judith Kerr
Light purple tunic + dark purple top + white tights with purple and pink squares drawn on + purple/blue hair ribbon + toy tiger + plastic teacup
64. Violet Beauregarde – Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
Dark blue shirt + dark blue trousers + red belt + red boating hat + bubblegum
65. Lavender – Matilda by Roald Dahl
Purple floral dress or purple dungarees + glasses + hair in plaits, pinned up
Want a Matilda World Book Day costume? See more Roald Dahl costume ideas
Book characters that wear pink
66. Handa – Handa’s Surprise by Eileen Browne
Pink floral dress + pink sandals + basket (to go on head) + plastic fruit
67. Annie Rose – Alfie and Annie Rose stories by Shirley Hughes
Pink dungarees + white top + converse trainers + red bucket
Book characters that wear white
68. The Little Princess – I Want My Potty by Tony Ross
White dress + crown + green potty
69. Wimpy Kid – Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney
White T-shirt + black shorts + black backpack
70. Max – Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
White onesie + furry headband + furry tail + crown + face-painted whiskers
Book characters that wear brown
71. Fantastic Mr Fox – Fantastic Mr Fox by Roald Dahl
Brown blazer + brown trousers + shirt + tie + waistcoat + fox tail + fox ears (see our video above)
72. Katniss Everdeen – Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Brown jacket + brown trousers + boots + plastic bow and arrows in bag + (optional) Mockingjay/bird brooch + hair in a plait
73. Stick Man – Stick Man by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler
Brown top + brown bottoms + brown shoes + twig/leave headpiece + additional twig/leaves on outfit
74. The Paper Bag Princess – The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch
Brown dress (ideally made out of paper) + crown
75. Amelia Earhart – Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls by Elena Favilli
Brown jacket (ideally leather) + brown trousers + boots + white scarf + goggles + aviator hat. Plus, really impress with our easy-to-make airplane addition: seethe video above
Still need more World Book Day outfit ideas?
If none of these take your child's fancy, don't despair – there's still time to dress them to impress. Check out our no-sew last-minute costumes if you're not feeling crafty, or if you fancy trying your hand at something a little more sophisticated, check out our handy video above.
Happy reading!
Prices correct at time of publication.
