This year’s World Book Day is on 7th March 2024!
This year, we are encouraging young readers to dive into exciting new reads, and harness their creativity to imagine their own new stories.
Dive in and imagine this World Book Day! Explore the magical underwater world of Emerald in Harriet Muncaster’s latest series. Design your own underwater landscape with our fun Emerald activity sheet.
If you’re feeling inspired to create your own story, why not take a look at our How to Make a Story activity sheet?
Costume Inspiration
Make this magical celebration of books and reading extra special with our no-sew World Book Day costume ideas. Our free guides and activity sheets will help you create the perfect costume for beloved characters like Isadora Moon and Winnie the Witch.
You may also be interested in our activity videos for World Book Day and our top parent tips on sharing a story at home.
Make sure to take a look at our free eBook library too – it’s bursting with brilliant titles bound to inspire every young reader this World Book Day. We’ve even added some titles from our most popular young Fiction series – including Isadora Moon, Kitty and Marv.
Free costume guides
Isadora Moon
Half-fairy/half-vampire, Isadora is the perfect quirky costume for younger children. Download our free costume guide for our tips on dressing up as Isadora or one of her quirky companions.
For Isadora, you will need:
- fangs
- bat wings
- messy hair
- a magic wand
- pointy fairy ears.
Dress up as Isadora Moon and friends >
Browse Isadora Moon books >
Marv
Download our Marv costume ideas, and create your own Marv mask. Perfect for World Book Day!
For Marv, you will need:
- A Marv-ellous mask (use our template to make one!)
- Blue clothing (if you have blue socks and blue gloves too, even better!)
- Some white paper
- Your favourite toy to be your sidekick
Make your own Kitty mask
Superhero-in-training Kitty is the perfect costume for children who love cats and superheroes! Our Kitty mask template is a super-easy way to create your own costume.
For Kitty, you will need:
- orange and black stripy top
- black dungarees
- a black cape
- cat ears (you can make these yourself!)
- a black superhero mask.
Pippi Longstocking party pack
In 2020, Pippi Longstocking turns 75! Or, to be completely accurate, the first book about Pippi turns 75 – she herself will always be the free-spirited nine-year-old we all love. What better time to dress up as the strongest girl in the world?
You will find instructions and ideas for two Pippi Longstocking-inspired costumes on pages 8–11 of our free party pack.
Download Pippi Longstocking party pack >
Browse Pippi Longstocking books >
Winnie the Witch
Raid your craft cupboard and help your child create their own witch’s hat and hair, just follow the instructions on our PDF guide to dressing as Winnie.
For Winnie, you will need:
- blue, yellow, orange and purple paper
- black sugar paper
- elastic
- glue
- scissors
- these instructions …
- … and some bad jokes!
Download costume instructions >
Browse Winnie and Wilbur books >
Wilbur
Or perhaps your child is more of a Wilbur fan? If so, our headdress template is a quick and easy way to create your own Wilbur costume.
For Wilbur, you will need:
- black card
- green, pink, blue, and black paper
- white pencil
- black jumper
- black trousers or leggings
- black shoes.
Download costume instructions >
Browse Winnie and Wilbur books >
Oxford Roald Dahl Dictionary
There have been some brilliant dictionary costumes for World Book Day over the past 20 years. This year, why not pin some of Roald Dahl’s best words to your outfit, apron, or cloak?
Here are some of our favourite Roald Dahl words and their definitions.
- gobblefunk (noun) – If you gobblefunk with words, you play around with them and invent new words or meanings.
- biffsquiggled (adjective) – If you feel biffsquiggled, you are confused or puzzled. ‘You must not be giving up so easy,’ the BFG said calmly. ‘The first titchy bobsticle you meet and you begin shouting you is biffsquiggled.’
- babblement (noun) – A friendly conversation or chat. ‘You is trying to change the subject,’ the Giant said sternly. ‘We is having an interesting babblement about the taste of the human bean.’
- piggery-jokery (noun) – Piggery-jokery means acting in a silly way and not taking things seriously. ‘But you must all be very very hushy quiet. No roaring of motors. No shouting. No mucking about. No piggery-jokery.’
- kiddle (noun) – A young child. ‘Fleshlumpeater did that one! He went off to Baghdad to bag dad and mum and all the little kiddles!’
- mushious (adjective) – Something that is mushious is both mushy and delicious. ‘It’s luscious, it’s super,/It’s mushious, it’s duper,/It’s better than rotten old fish./You mash it and munch,/You chew it and crunch it!/It’s lovely to hear it go squish!’
- propsposterous (adjective) – Ridiculous or extremely silly.’ They maybe is looking a bit propsposterous to you,’ the BFG said, ‘but you must believe me when I say they is very extra-usual ears indeed.’
Browse Roald Dahl language books >
Browse Roald Dahl activities >
Willow Wildthing
Explorer of The Wilderness, Willow Wildthing is the perfect character to dress-up as if your child loves wearing comfy clothes that they are very happy to get dirty in, exploring nature. With a distinctive red headband and leaves in her beautiful messy hair, dressing up as Willow will appeal to free spirits and adventurers alike.
For Willow Wildthing, you will need:
- leaves (real, or drawn and cut from paper)
- an orange t shirt
- yellow leggings
- shorts with a belt
- a backpack
Download costume instructions >
More about Willow Wildthing >
Ballet Bunnies
One girl, four bunnies, and a wonderful dancing adventure!
Learning to ballet dance is harder than Millie expected. The other dancers in the class aren’t very nice to her either. But just when she’s thinking that maybe ballet isn’t for her after all, Millie meets the ballet bunnies! They live hidden in the ballet school, using what they find to make their home-ballet shoes for beds, upside down cups for tables-and secretly take the ballet classes with the humans. Maybe the ballet bunnies can help Millie master some news ballet skills after all!
For the Ballet Bunnies, you will need::
- bunny ears
- a tutu
- pink shoes (ballet shoes if you have them!)
Dress up as the Ballet Bunnies >
Browse Ballet Bunnies books >
More from Oxford Owl
- Harriet Muncaster’s top magical books for children
- Matty Long’s favourite fantasy picture books for under 5s
- Tom McLaughlin’s top 10 hilarious books for children and teenagers
- Ben Davis’ favourite funny books for children and teenagers
- Author Ali Sparkes’ top tips for keeping kids engaged with books after World Book Day