I have liked it. My eldest is in year 2 this year, my middle one in nursery.
I made (hand sewing coz it killed my machine) a cat in the hat costume when the eldest was in nursery. That did 2 years. Last year I made him a Sam-I-Am costume including a plate of felt green eggs and ham.
He was looking forwards to wearing the costume again this year. And my younger one for some reason set his heart on being He-man (and yes, we do have a book with him in, my husband's from when he was little).
So I asked before I started making... "yes, but I've been told that we have to get all of nursery dressed as something from Esio Trot." So i told the nursery teacher that she could expect 24 tortoises but what she'd get would be 22 blank looks and 2 of us thinking that was a stupid idea, and still get mostly disney princesses. She agreed and said she'd be trying to get the senior management to agree that nursery were too young for that. To be fair, there's not a single chance my 4 year old would sit still to listen to the whole book or even past the second page. Nor would he agree to wear a turtle costume, which I could make but wouldn't because I know it would be pointless.
Then I asked the year 2 teacher. Their assigned book was Matilda. So I told her it was a silly idea too. "oh, but we've read it in class" they may well have done but it doesn't mean there are any decent characters in it for boys to dress as. "oooh they could be her dad" (I suggested that to my son, he said "NO WAY!" then the next suggestion was "well there are boysin Matilda's class" So I said that it wouldn't be very inclusive if that happens she could explain why the boys were coming in their normal uniform and thus being excluded because I wasn't about to.
I think I am "that parent"
We aren't in a well-off area so there will be a lot of families where buying more costumes just can't happen, nor time to make them so the kids go in whatever they have already (heroes and princesses mostly, an occassional Darth Vader)
The school has yet to even announce it. I expect it'll be in Tuesday's newsletter.
Nursery have now got "permission" to be whatever they like, so it's full steam ahead with making a "prince Adam of Eternia" (He-man's alter-ego) for the youngest - purple fur overpants and currently making his purple boots (will double as slippers after), over borrowed leggings and a white top with a cut-down charity shop shirt. (He-man is basically the bottom half the same but just some straps on an otherwise naked top half , for those who don't know)
For the Eldest I have a vague plan to dress him as a 1950's style school boy using things we already have. He's skinny so wouldn't be convincing as Bruce Bogtrotter, the only male character he'd even consider worth notice. Assuming they still intend to enforce the theme, that is. He got a school cap out of it so he doesn't object so much.
And yes, this has probably outed me but I don't care.