Today is World Book Day 2024 and children and adults alike have gone all-out when it comes to costumes.
From Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Matilda, to J K Rowling’s Harry Potter, there are plenty of fiction classics inspiring the outfits this year.
With some schools putting an emphasis on non-fiction books, kids have donned the outfits worn by their favourite sports stars like Marcus Rashford and Lewis Hamilton.
These masterpieces, carefully and lovingly put together by parents and carers, have been flooding social media all morning, so Metro has picked the best looks across the UK.
So without further ado, here are the costume winners for World Book Day 2024…
Matilda
Our personal favourite costume is from Roald Dahl’s Matilda, with this fabulous little girl dressed as Miss Trunchbull.
âChokey now!!â
— Mairi-Jean Watkins (@MairiWatkins) March 7, 2024
All set for #WorldBookDay2024. Good luck @IsobelMair ð pic.twitter.com/B4CAeoPXuG
The jumper and belt is spot on, along with her trousers tucked into her socks. Shot puts are the perfect accessory too.
Mairi-Jean Watkins (@MairiWatkins) captioned the clip, ‘Chokey now!!’, saying: ‘All set for #WorldBookDay2024’, before wishing her daughter’s school good luck.
We have to say the costume is amazing, but the acting is a 10/10 from us.
Harry Potter
It just wouldn’t be a World Book Day without a Harry Potter costume, would it?
Sarah (@sarri_c) shared on Twitter: ‘My niece Sophie, has been watching Philosophers Stone EVERY DAY for the last few months. It’s become her comfort blanket. So it was a no-brainer who she would be…
‘P.S she’s not sad, just “in character”.’
— Sarah (@sarri_c) March 7, 2024My niece Sophie, has been watching Philosophers Stone EVERY DAY for the last few months. Itâs become her comfort blanket. So it was a no-brainer who she would be for #WorldBookDay2024 @jk_rowling
P.S sheâs not sad, just âin characterâ ð pic.twitter.com/bkJ5Pt4AOl
The little girl was kitted out head-to-toe with the Gryffindor school uniform, along with her wand, Hedwig the owl, spectacles and of course the scar Voldemort left on her forehead.
She’s even got Harry’s worried expression down to a T, although she is missing a sock and we don’t remember that being in the books.
Lewis Hamilton
Some schools are putting an emphasis on non-fiction books for World Book Day and we think this is a pretty good idea.
It’s also likely to make the costume a little easier for parents to pull together – we’re all about ease.
Rachel Earlswood (@EarlswoodEco) sent her son to school as the seven-time world champion F1 racing driver Lewis Hamilton.
At my 8yo sons school, they’re doing non fiction World Book Day. Jackson chose @LewisHamilton because he is paving the way for other mixed race kids in a very white world. Daddy spent 3 hours platting his hair last night! What do you think?! #WorldBookDay2024 pic.twitter.com/V4zxjANmOi
— EcoEarlswood ð Rachel (@EarlswoodEco) March 7, 2024
She wrote: ‘At my 8-year-old son’s school, they’re doing non fiction World Book Day. Jackson chose @LewisHamilton because he is paving the way for other mixed race kids in a very white world. Daddy spent 3 hours platting his hair last night! What do you think?!’
The young boy can be seen holding the Little People, Big Dreams Lewis Hamilton book, donning a Mercedes top and cap – although we guess next year he’ll have to wear Ferrari colours.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
There were many standout costumes when it comes to this Roald Dahl classic, but there was one look that clinched the victory.
We have an exceptional Oompa Loompa.
#WorldBookDay2024 i think he hates me right now ð 𤣠pic.twitter.com/O4nRp3C1fg
— Mark 2.0 (@Hazzy2_0) March 7, 2024
The young chap has the iconic green wig, the orange face and the white and brown overalls to complete the look.
We aren’t quite sure the Oompa Loompa’s wore Nike trainers but we think they compliment the look brilliantly.
X user Mark (@Hazzy2_0) shared a picture of his son saying: ‘I think he hates me right now.’
One commenter, Casey J, wrote: ‘This has made my morning he looks fantastic bro.’
The Wizard of Oz
A set of identical twins were certainly following the yellow brick road to school today, both dressed as brilliant Dorothys.
Andy Goode (@AndyGoode10) wrote: ‘A couple of Dorothy’s heading off for #WorldBookDay2024.’
A couple of Dorothyâs heading off for #WorldBookDay2024 pic.twitter.com/BDiSFX5pgX
— Andy Goode (@AndyGoode10) March 7, 2024
Decked out in their blue pinafore dresses with red bows, red tights and baskets holding beloved terrier Toto, they both truly looked the part.
The only thing better than one Dorothy, is two.
Marcus Rashford
Our tiniest tot yet had dressed up brilliantly for World Book Day as Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford.
Dressed in a United shirt and football shorts, this toddler even posed feeding a baby, meant to represent Rashford advocating for free school meals.
Like our Lewis Hamilton costume earlier, this outfit was based on the Little People, Big Dreams Marcus Rashford book.
— bainsy (@iBainsy) March 7, 2024Feeding the children like @MarcusRashford #WorldBookDay2024
Disclaimer: Crocs not intended as part of the outfit. Toddler tantrum if I took them off. pic.twitter.com/dQBLMsEIOR
@iBainsy wrote: ‘Feeding the children like @MarcusRashford. Disclaimer: Crocs not intended as part of the outfit. Toddler tantrum if I took them off.’
We have to say if Marcus had been wearing those pink crocs he may have scored more than one blinding goal against Man City on Sunday.
Honourable Mention
While there’s no specific mention of which book this lovely little bee is from, we couldn’t help but mention her.
Little Olivia was posted by her dad @ActionJackson, posing as a fabulously stripy bee, with wings, a wand, and antennae.
Olivia is set for #WorldBookDay2024 ð pic.twitter.com/r3A1BY0MqX
— ð¬ð§UK Ambassador for happiness ð (@Actionjackson) March 7, 2024
While we aren’t sure the typical bee carries a tote bag, she obviously needs somewhere to store her pollen she’ll collect throughout the day.
The shoes alone make this a worthy World Book Day outfit.
She could be I Am Bee by Rebecca McDonald, the Little Yellow Bee by Ginger Swift or Kaia and the Bees – regardless, the looks fuzzy and adorable.
What has your child dressed up as today? Let us know in the comments below…
Not all parents are a fan of World Book Day...
Not everyone is a fan of World Book Day, though, with parent
Nadia Cohen calling it as ‘painful as childbirth’. Writing for Metro.co.uk she said:
‘As schools across Britain open their gates to an army of excitable Hermiones and Harrys this morning, listen for the collective sigh of relief as parents rejoice thatWorld Book Day(WBD) is over for another year.
‘It should be a celebration of reading, but just hearing those three little words is enough to make most of us break out in a cold sweat. It is the day in the school calendar thatevery parent dreads the most.
‘I am not a perfect Pinterestmum. I am crap at crafts. Every year I urge my twin sons Felix and Harry, now in their early teens, to please just go as Horrid Henry because that’s basically scruffy clothes.
‘The first year I encountered WBD,I was full of foolish optimism. Cake sales and volunteering for the PTA were my thing back then – I thought this would be a breeze.
‘The theme was animals. A hedgehog darling? No problem. I laughed at supermarket displays of flammable-looking accessories and went home to sew fluffy fabric.
‘There was literally blood (from the needle stabs), sweat and plenty of tears, but in a stroke of sheer genius, I crafted spikes out of wooden pegs.
‘As dawn broke and I presented Felix with my efforts, he was not impressed. The spiky bits hurt his bottom when he sat down (my suggestion of crawling on all fours was apparently not allowed). He worried about going to the loo. The pegs kept falling off.
‘And yet, WBD is a bit like childbirth. After a few months you forget the pain and by the time it rolls around again you think it’s a brilliant idea.’
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