Costumes and accessories have been sparking conversations about books across the UK as World Book Day 2020 saw children (and teachers!) dressing up to celebrate their favourite literary characters.
However, the inevitable backlash has seen critics pointing out that some parents spend more on fancy dress than on the books they are supposed to be celebrating. In response to this, a number of schools have decided to remove the dress-up element, with a mixed response from both parents and children.
There’s no doubt that (most) children enjoy the day, as six-year-old Violet Willis explained: “I love World Book Day because dressing up and reading books are two of my favourite things to do. It’s also a good day because we share stories at school which means I find out about new books and characters.”
Four-year-old Taylor Whysall is also a big fan of the day. “I am a pirate because my book is about pirates,” he said. “I am this man here with the red hat on and my name is Jack. I have to fight the bad guys.”
What though, do teachers make of it? Are the costumes a distraction from the serious business of books? And if they are – is that always such a bad thing?
Claire Farmery is the assistant head at South Hill Primary in Hertfordshire and she’s a big fan of the event, declaring it to be ‘one of her favourite school days every year’.
“I absolutely love World Book Day,” said Claire. “I love the fact that children and adults get enthusiastic about books and the conversations we have during the day about why we chose that particular character.”
“I think the dressing up element really helps to bring the day to life,” she continued. “We hold a parade in our school where each class gets to walk across the stage and the whole school absolutely loves it. I love seeing the vast range of well-known and then lesser-known characters and talking about the reasons behind their choices. I also love when children (and parents) get creative and make their own! Much of my passion for being a teacher is about creating memories and inspiring the younger generation and dressing up on World Book Day is all about that”
No stranger to indulging in dress-up herself, this year Claire spent the day at school in a home-made costume of ‘The Christmasaurus’, a book by Tom Fletcher.
“I had read it at Christmas with my Year 6 class,” she explained. “They loved seeing me make the head a few weeks ago and then the joy on their faces when they saw me walk in in full costume was brilliant; I’m not sure who enjoyed it more! A tiny five-year-old from our reception class also lit up when he saw the costume; it is his favourite book too and I loved being able to chat to him in his dinosaur pyjamas about what made the book so special to both of us.”
“I think what dressing up does is add a sense of fun, a sense of awe and starts amazing conversations,” Claire concluded. “I hope our pupils will look back and remember our World Book Days for years to come. And I hope it inspires them to continue to read!”
