World Book Day 2017

Emma as Silky the Fairy from The Enchanted Wood by Enid Blyton

 

World Book Day always inspires a great deal of excitement in the Podlings. With Tom now at high school, only the girls got to dress up this year. Emma went as Silky the fairy from The Enchanted Wood and Lily chose to be Nancy Drew. Emma's costume was quite easy to put together. Her dress was the bridesmaid's dress that Lily wore to Mark's brother's wedding a few years ago and we had the wings in the dress-up box. I made the flower crown by stitching some artificial daisies onto a headband. I really wasn't sure what we were going to do for Lily's costume and went charity shopping the day before World Book Day with my fingers crossed. Imagine my delight when I found a beautiful purple, tweed-effect suit just waiting to be turned into a Nancy Drew costume! The skirt was much too long, so some frantic (and very messy!) hem sewing was required in order to have the costume ready for the morning. I couldn't bring myself to cut into the beautiful jacket, so I just pinned the sleeves inside to shorten them. A pair of black tights and one of my hats and Lily went to school looking very much like Nancy Drew and scarily grown-up!

 

It is always fun to see what the other children wear on World Book Day, but it saddens me that every year you seem to see fewer and fewer costumes that are actually inspired by books. World Book Day is supposed to inspire children to develop a love of reading, but increasingly you see movie characters, Disney princesses and even computer-game characters. They might as well re-name it National Fancy Dress Day! Such a shame!

 

Something new this year was the school's 'Reading in Unusual Places' competition, where the children were supposed to submit a photograph of themselves reading in an unusual place. We took reading books with us on our visit to Manchester Museum and photographed the girls reading there. Lily was standing in front of a flock of artificial butterflies with a complete whale skeleton suspended behind her. Emma was photographed standing in front of a leaping tiger. The winning photograph was of a boy reading in his own kitchen with his dog. One doesn't want to appear a sore loser, so I shall refrain from commenting further, but I was disappointed for the girls, who thought they were in with a good chance with their 'unusual places'.

 

This was Lily's last year to dress up for World Book Day as she will be joining Tom at his High School next year, but I think she went out on a high note. She made a lovely Nancy Drew and although none of the children knew who she was, the teachers were quite excited by it! I love it that my girls love to read and I hope that never changes. 

 

Lily as Nancy Drew. I loved the Nancy Drew books as a girl, so I am thrilled that Lily has really taken to the books too.



Emma's entry in her school's 'Reading in Unusual Places' competition, taken at Manchester Museum.  Probably not the tiger who came to tea! I still can't fathom why this picture didn't win! 

Lily's entry to the competition, again taken at Manchester Museum with a complete whale skeleton suspended in the background.