Yes, it is nearly that time of year again - World Book Day. A day that was first invented back in 1995 by UNESCO as a way of celebrating and promoting reading. How lovely, but there is one small problem because now it has been hijacked by somebody who clearly wasn’t a parent. As a result the day has evolved into dressing up your little darlings as some literary character. Now every school that I am aware of celebrates World Book Day. Whilst this is fantastic and something I actively encourage and rejoice in, it isn’t so great for the lazy or disorganised (of which I am both) out there.

For me World Book Day is a little hellish.

I have been known in the past to completely forget and have found myself rummaging around in the dressing up box the evening before, panicking as I try to work out what character from a novel is a Pirate Princess. Oldest is only in her 3rd year of school and so far she has gone as Snow White (this was the year I had to rummage around the dressing-up box) and Matilda as in Roald Dahl. Living on a small island means that we can often struggle to find what we need and as a result you can end up in a fancy-dress shop paying through the nose for an outfit which has been hiked up in price just for World Book Day.

However, this year I have been organised and I have sorted the outfit out already. I know it appears that miracles really do happen. I have learnt from my mistakes in the past. I was determined that there would be no last minute expensive panic buying and nor would there be anything that would involve me picking up a sewing needle. I can not sew (not even a button) and whilst I wish that I was a crafty Mum who could whip out the most amazing outfit I have had to admit that this is not me.

So this year I did the following;

• Let your child choose or should that be I gave the illusion of giving oldest a choice. I know I am a bad Mummy. I asked her to choose two characters from two books that she had last read. Knowing that one would be ‘How to train your dragon’ and the other would be the ‘BFG’. We then discussed characters. Oldest considered going as a viking from ‘How to train your dragon’. However, oldest is also very aware of my limitations and realises that I can’t make magic happen with a pair of old curtains. So straight away it was agreed that this was out of the question. So we quickly settled on Sophie from the ‘BFG’
• Sell your character to your child. What is it’s USP? I sold Sophie to oldest as you get to spend the day at school in your PJs. In oldest’s book this is a big win.
• Get a costume that can be reused again and doesn’t require you taking out a second mortgage. So we splashed out on a pair of pretend glasses and some new Pjs which will be worn again, unlike the Matilda costume which is currently languishing at the bottom of the wadrobe.

So I have decided that the key to World Book Day is keeping it simple.

I no longer let myself get washed along with the World Book Day costume tide, I know my limitations. I can’t papermaiche and I don’t own a sewing machine but I don’t care. We might stare in awe at the astounding DIY costumes that litter the playground and I will applaud the creativity of the parents (whilst secretly wondering where they find the time) but oldest and I will be happy in the knowledge that we will be remembering the true meaning of World Book Day- reading. To celebrate we will be sharing a book together when she gets home from school.

World Book Day is next week, Thursday 3rd March. Get it tattooed on your forehead so you don’t forget.

What literary figure will your child be dressing up as?