...to think the point of World Book Day is to focus on BOOKS...

[WishICouldThinkOfACoolUsername]

And not random cartoon/film characters when dressing up?

Our school has done a lot for WBD today and I completely support it - in fact I was excited to help encourage reading in a fun way - which tbh was the whole point as far as I understood it! So am AIBU to feel a bit sad that a good number of the children who have dressed up are Disney Princesses and the like? Don't really see how that's any different to any other dress up day really! According to Radio 2 this morning there were primary children dressed up as James Bond - not sure I know any primary aged child who has read those books and in fact I'd argue that a lot of primary aged children probably haven't seen the films either! To be clear, I totally accept that there is some crossover (one of our staff dressed as Wendy from Peter Pan for example) but to me there's a difference between that and Elsa from Frozen...

Completely prepared to be flamed for this; I was just looking forward to celebrating BOOKS today

Last year I saw a little girl dressed as Scarlett O Hara (I knew this because she was holding the book) with a full on crinoline, black curly wig, make up and high heels, she could barely walk down the road!

She was in yr 1, so 5/6, and unless she is a very advanced free reader, I doubt she is a big fan of Margaret Mitchell.

So while it is nice if there is some link with a book, surely it is a about dressing up a bit if you want to ( as whatever!!) talking about books a bit and just having a bit of fun? It doesn't have to be - 'oh god, I have to dress my child up in a costume that has literary resonance, and also displays in it's homemade worthy craftiness that I am a parent who CARES!!!!'

Ds is dressing up as Kipper (they are doing WBD next week for some reason) - he will only wear jeans and tshirt, and when I asked what his favourite book was, he took the Biff Chip and Kipper book out of his bag and pointed to it........he is very literal

Sure, Paul - I'm sure you've never judge someone in your life, have you?

Yes there are books on Frozen, that's not my point though. Anyway, it really isn't a big impact on my life. It's just an opinion. For me books mean actual books. That's just me though, and I understand that is not everyone's opinion. I wouldn't be so rude to jump down one individual's throat about their opionion, however I know some on here like to badger one poster over and over again for daring to say something opposite to the main views of the thread.

Dressing as ORT Kipper! Love it!!!

If course I've judged people before! Not on something as ridiculously trivial as their child's WBD costume though!

But it doesn't say classical literature day it just says world book day.
A books a book surely???

I'm a children's book illustrator. Believe me, nearly all the illustrators and authors I know (which is a lot!) are in schools today across the country for WBD and have been most of this week. WBD is about books believe me.

I can't believe the amount of moaning, judging and general belly aching there has been about WBD. People have said time and time again you don't have to buy a costume. Just wear a pair of odd socks or dress in normal clothes!

My dcs love dressing up so we go for it. However they are rubbish at sports and music so it's their chance to shine a bit. I do like them to go as book characters if they can but I really don't give too much headspace to it. There was a great atmosphere in our playground this morning - glad the children were Elsa, superheroes even a minion whatever! As long as they're engaged in the day. Who cares?

It's not like I think it's the most awful thing ever, for goodness sake Paul . You sound far angrier about this, are you ok? If your daughter went in as Elsa today, that's ok, I'm sorry if I've personally offended you .

I just wish the focus was on having special activities at school for the day (e.g. getting authors in to read etc), rather than any dressing up at all. Would solve any debate, relieve the burden for just about every parent in the land (whose heart doesn't sink every year?!) and get to the heart of what this week is supposed to be about.

Omg do some people really judge what kids wear to wbd? Seriously?

Nope ds is dressed as Skulduggery. I just think parents judge each other enough without all this petty shit. It doesn't make anyone look good, passing judgment on a child's costume.

(Nice attempt to make me seem a bit irrational about it all though Shame it didn't work)

Yup Kali WBD is the new Fruitshoot.

Paul! Def the new Fruitshoot. Love MN and it's weirdness.

You make it sound like I'm personally judging a child, hounding them in the playground . I'm not, I think you know exactly what I was trying to say. There's a difference between 'My child dressed as Elsa, becasue there are books about Frozen around so it counts' and 'my child loved reading the book about Frozen/The Snow Queen and wanted to be that character today'. Yes, there may be a few of the latter, but it's mostly the former. I think that's lazy - it's World Book Day, not World Make Everything About Popular Franchise Even If It's Not Really Book Related. Again though, just my opinion. Not like I'm shouting it at children in the street, just voicing on a forum. Again I'll say, it would be a lot simpler if it was actually about books, instead of dress up but there we go.

Copycat.

Me, Beyond? Sorry if you've said the same! Difficult to see if some posts are of the same opinion when most are shouting about people being judgmental gits when trying to give another view.

Sorry to confuse, I meant the thread - the other thread moaning about wbd costumes was mine
(So i do agree with your post anyway)

I understand, I've been on that thread as well (though didn't get shouted at there -is it safer?? )

Wth is a 'proper book'? Who cares if kids are dressed as elsa for example with their books based on movies, if they are reading?
Anything that gets kids reading is good!

Yabu.

Who cares?? As long as it encourages reading, who gives a FF?

This is why my school usually has a theme this year (Roald Dahl last year, a very easy theme, lots of characters wearing normal clothes.). No idea what they're doing this year as I'm on mat leave.
Too many kids turning up in a jersey and "oh I'm Messi from the Barcelona Annual...".

Ignore the mysterious "this year" that snuck into that first sentence. Blaming baby brain!