World Book Day is meant to spark a love of reading… not a parental panic about finding a costume at 10pm the night before. If you’ve ever found yourself rummaging through the dressing-up box thinking, “Surely this unicorn onesie can be something?”, you’re in good company.
The good news: you don’t need to spend money or hours crafting. With a simple animal onesie (or whatever your child insists on wearing), you can pull together a brilliant book-themed costume in minutes — and save your energy for the fun part: actually reading together.
Onesie-based ideas you can make in seconds
- Tiger onesie: The Tiger Who Came to Tea, or Shere Khan from The Jungle Book.
- Rabbit onesie: Percy and the Rabbit, Watership Down, or Peter Rabbit.
- Bear onesie + red top: Winnie-the-Pooh.
- Bear onesie + red hat and blue jacket: Paddington.
- Duck onesie: The duck from Duck in the Truck.
- Pig onesie: Wilbur from Charlotte’s Web.
- Elephant onesie: One of Elmer’s less colourful friends.
And honestly, that’s just the start. Most animal characters can be whisked together from things you already have at home. Your child will be thrilled, and you’ll still have time for a cosy World Book Day story before bed.
Make reading the main event
Costumes are fun, but the real magic of World Book Day happens when you curl up together and share a story. If you’re running low on reading material (it happens quickly!), you can browse our huge range of book-banded titles at Reading Chest.
And if you fancy joining in with this year’s World Book Day celebrations, visit worldbookday.com for ideas, activities, and inspiration.
Happy reading — and good luck with the onesies.