To ask what IS the point of dressing up on world book day?

[malificent7]

Stressful and expensive for parents. Do they actually learn more by dressing up?
Do it make them think about books more or something?
Id much rather they did some book related activities on the day and perhaos a tiny bit of non expensive homework.

After all that stress and expense many schools were shut anyway. At 9 dd just wants to go in jeans and t shirt anyway.pah!

Kids like it.

My kids get a bit grumpy about it but I've never minded making costumes (it does help that I've got 4 kids so some of the ones I made 10 years ago are still in use). This year the younger ones' school had them all go to school in their pyjamas and they had bedtime stories and related activities all day. I liked this and so did they.
I did make new pyjamas for one of them, but more because he's been asking me to for ages than because of WBD.

You don’t need to sew!

Go to your child’s book shelf and have a quick look at some of the characters. There will be something on at least one of them that you could replicate with stuff out of their wardrobe.

Your kids like it, Quicker. I can assure you many don’t. That’s not really the point though. Does it raise the profile of reading? Does it make a single child pick up a book they wouldn’t have done otherwise? No to both, I expect. So it’s not worth doing for World Book Day. If they like dressing up, fine. Let them. But let’s not pretend it has anything t9 do with reading.

Its a marketing ploy by damn supermarkets and book sellers

Yeah, fucking UNESCO. All about the supermarkets, it is.

and stupid schools feed into it.

I really hate it when schools try to get kids enthusiastic about books and reading. Arseholes.

Fuck knows.

VERY glad that our school is closed for the rest of the week, World Book Day can sod right off.

I’m an English teacher and I don’t think it’s fun. I refuse to do it. It makes me really cross actually.

Why would you be cross about something that encourages making reading fun? WBD is as fun as you make it and if you make no effort then of course it is going to be awful and boring!

I used to teach English abroad and loved World Book Day! I used to dress up with the kids and then we'd spend the lesson talking about who they dressed up as, what book they were from and a little about the story. As a foreign language teacher it was great as it gave them a chance to speak in English about something they enjoyed and for every kid that had come as Harry Potter or Alice in Wonderland there was another that had come as a character from a book that the other kids hadn't read/heard of yet and it gave them ideas of books to read in the future.

It's a PITA but I won't begrudge the kids whom are largely excited to dress up. Having a child by its very virtue means at times you will be like 'WTF' at the inconvenience and hassle but there we go.

This is only as stressed and expensive as the parent chooses to make it

My dds costumes have never cost a penny, nor caused any stress; dd2 was proud of her costume she devised this morning, she didn't look good at all but she thought she did, and that's what counts.

Well according to the World Book Day website:-
"It’s all about getting kids closer to the books and authors they already love, and letting them discover more books and authors they’ll love every bit as much in the future."

Which is totally to be supported and some of the resources on the site look fabulous. It's such a shame that the dressing up seems to be the only thing that most people know about it.

(And yes, I was a child who hated dressing up. It's only fun if you think it's fun.)

Reading some of these replies - some people do like to make a fuss when none is necessary, don't they?
No creativity, expense, imagination, sewing etc needed whatsoever if you don't fancy it.
Pjs - Sophie from BFg
School uniform and a book - Matilda
School uniform and a wand - hermione
Etc etc

I meant stick rather than wand.

And yes, I was a child who hated dressing up. It's only fun if you think it's fun.

That’s true of just about all the ‘fun’ things at school.

ITs funny, I asked my son if he enjoyed dressing up as {character} today. He thought about it and said “No. I’d rather wear uniform at school”.

Phelan I didn't put my kids on Facebook and I don't want any praise. I only shared photos with their grandparents, who are the only people who gve a shit.

I did it because my kids really love it and get really excited every year. Is there any reason to be so nasty and sniping about it?

Are you a competitive Mum?

My costume was last years Beatrix Potter outfit plus accessories to make me Mary Poppins or Queen Victoria as my Head Teacher kept calling me! I came third but the winner painted a box to make a Mr Strong costume!
I enjoyed the day and my children wore a variety of things and all were celebrated.

DD1 Cruella De vil = My fur coat, black dress, red boots, spray half her blond hair with DH's black hairspray and one of DD2s stuffed dalmations
DS1 Boy in the dress = DD1 dress, tights and shoes and dress up wig we had already (actually the first proper book he has read all the way through and if it wasnt for wbd that he wouldnt of done this, he has now also asked if I can get him some more david walliams books)
DS2 Tigger = His Tigger onesie, winnie the pooh teddy and orange and black facepaint
DD2 Angelina Ballerina = her ballet outfit, cat ears, mouse facepaint

I spent a total of £0 and they all pretty much sorted it all between them, I probably gave my children an hour of my time to help them get their costumes together.

Does it raise the profile of reading? Does it make a single child pick up a book they wouldn’t have done otherwise? No to both, I expect.

You are completely wrong. Every single year I hear some of the kids ask who "xxx character" is and ask to read the book they are from. Might not be the majority, but yes, it does. Not everybody is dressed up as your "usual" character.

Even if it makes the kids read a super hero book, so what? there are no bad books, there are boring people. In the world of tablets and internet, anything encouraging the kids to read is good. In my schools, all the kids bring the book their costume is from. It works well. It's not mandatory, no one has to do it, but the kids seem to love it.

cardibach

Yes actually, WBD has encouraged my DS to read.

I agree Cavoli.
It's increased reading for my dds.
Someone was dressed as pippi longstickings and dd2 has now asked to read it.

world book day has become vulgar simply an excuse for frozen and ironman outfits to be worn.

so what? if it inspires kids to read the Snow Queen, what's wrong with that? nothing wrong with fairytales. I am sure at least one feminist will turn up with many reasons why there ARE lots of wrong with fairytales but I am not going there

cardibach

You have no evidence it doesn't get some children into reading. It potentially makes reading 'cool'; makes talking about books 'cool'. Gives children the opportunity to get ideas from their friends about what books to read. Alongside other things schools and parents try to do to encourage reading.

I don't even care if a child comes dressed as ironman. Our school library stocks graphic novels that contain superheroes. These books encourage reluctant readers to read.