Can anyone suggest an easy dressing up idea for a poetry character fairly urgently?

[Aero]

As if finding a character from a book isn't enough of a pain for book week, but this year our school has decided the theme is poetry and I'm stumped. Something easy that won't involve trekking around shops and spending money we can't afford would be good, so any suggestions would be gratefully received.
Am considering 'The queen of hearts' for dd as she has lots of princess/queenie type things and can easily ad some red hearts, but ds1 (7) is posing more of a problem. Nursery rhymes are also acceptable.
TIA

Dress him as an ainmal from "Hey diddle diddle"?

What about Hiawatha? Lovely little indian outfit, few feathers etc.

Humpty dumpty? Not very inspiring. Hmm. A gruffalo? The Cat in The Hat? (well, it rhymes!)

Not sure I can do animals with what I have in the house, though happy to take suggestions on how I can improvise.

budget option (nice and dry too at this time of year, too) would be to go as AA Milne's John

John had great big waterproof boots on
John had a great big waterproof hat
John had a great big waterproof mackintosh
And that, said John, is that

brill bakedpotato. What a great idea Me I have none.

OK - probably too basic - make a fishing rod from a garden cane and a bit of string and bandage the little finger of his right hand??

Jack from Jack and Jill went up the hill. You could put a bandage around his head and give him an empty bucket to carry.

Was loving the Hiawatha idea - have just googled it - never realised it was about death! Still - love that idea, but am feeling myself swaying towards bp's suggestion now! Keep them coming - I will show this to ds1 later. Other ideas for dd are also welcome.

scotlou - basic is good - these are great ideas! That one is fab

she doesn't need to know about the death bit. Just do the pretty sounding bits. I'd forgotten all about the death. Might get you brownie points with the teacher (or bad marks because she has to explain the Hiawatha story lol)

Or he could be the doctor from 'Miss Polly had a dolly'

Or a cat from Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats...

How about Henry King? From Hilaire Bellocs Cautionary tales for children

"The Chief Defect of Henry King
Was chewing little bits of String.
At last he swallowed some which tied
Itself in ugly Knots inside."

Nice and easy to do Just dress in nice clothes and carry a nice big ball of string

I loved these poems when I was little.

lol mtmml!
Dr and Miss Polly good too - gosh - they're going to have quite a choice now and I won't have to leave the house for any of it.

That's great Tarantula. Ds1 loves Spike Milligan, but I was struggling with the Ning Nang Nong thing!!

Another Spike Milligan (or 2)

There was a bee upon a wall
Buzz buzz buzz
And that was all.

OR

I never felt finer
Said the King of China
Sitting down to dine
Then he fell down dead
He died he did
It was only half past nine.

Could you manage a 'Chinese' outfit or a bee?

What about To A Mouse, Robert Burns??

She could go as a wee mouse.

How about Macavity the Mystery Cat?

The Owl and the Pussycat? plenty of scope there for an owl or a cat with some honey and plenty of money, or a pig with a ring in the end of it's nose.

What about the knave who stole the tarts? Family theme.

Well, it's happening tomorrow and final decisions have been made! Ds1 is going as 'The General' from 'Says the General' by 'Spike Milligan, and dd is going as Miss (princess) Polly, with her sick dolly. They are very excited and I'll just be happy when they get to school in full fancy dress, with all props, and all the other things required for tomorrow (talk about pressure on parents), and I can finally relax a bit! Phew!