World Book Day: costumes in ten minutes, and what the day is actually for
Thursday 4 March 2027. Costumes from what is already in the house, what to do with the £1 token, and how to know what your school has asked for before the night before.
By The AskBobbie team · 29 September 20262 min read
World Book Day is Thursday 4 March 2027. The point of it is a £1 book token and a day about reading. The costume is a tradition the schools added, and it is the reason the class WhatsApp group loses its mind in the last week of February.
Find out what the school has asked for
The brief arrives in the newsletter about ten days before, and it varies: "come as a character", "wear pyjamas and bring a book", "dress as a word", "no costumes, bring a book to share". Before you make anything, read the brief. Put the date in the calendar when it arrives, with the brief in the notes; if you forward the newsletter to Bobbie, it does this for you and the round-up says "tomorrow: World Book Day, character costume" the night before.
Ten-minute costumes from the house
- Where's Wally: a red and white striped top (or any stripes), jeans, glasses, a bobble hat. A walking stick from a broom if you are keen.
- Any Roald Dahl child: school uniform. Matilda with a red ribbon and a stack of books; Charlie with a chocolate bar; Danny with a torch.
- The Gruffalo: brown clothes, a paper purple prickle stuck to the back, a green paper nose wart. Or the Mouse: grey clothes and paper ears.
- Harry Potter: a dressing gown, glasses, a felt-tip scar, a chopstick.
- Wimpy Kid: a white T-shirt with three black felt-tip hairs on a paper face pinned on. Genuinely the easiest costume in existence.
- Paddington: a duffle coat, or any coat, a red hat, a marmalade sandwich in a bag with a label.
- Cat in the Hat: black clothes, a red bow tie, a tall striped hat from a cereal box.
- A pyjama day: pyjamas, a favourite book, done, if the school allows it.
The token
The school gives each child a £1 token. It buys one of the year's special £1 books, or takes £1 off any book, at bookshops and supermarket book aisles until the end of March. Use it; it is the whole point.
Further reading
Sources: World Book Day; National Literacy Trust.
Questions people ask
- When is World Book Day 2027?
- Thursday 4 March 2027. Some schools move their celebration to the Friday, and a few do a whole week. The newsletter says.
- What is the £1 token?
- Every child gets a £1 book token from school, to spend on one of the special £1 World Book Day books or as £1 off any book, in any bookshop or supermarket book aisle, until the end of March.
- Do I have to make a costume?
- No. World Book Day itself says pyjamas and a favourite book are fine. Check the school's brief, which is usually looser than the class WhatsApp group makes it sound.