This year’s Book Week theme is Dreaming with eyes open, which is what reading is all about. When you read your imagination soars - letting you step into the shoes of others and go on adventures way beyond the walls of your home.
Book Week Costumes Inspired by Beloved Australian Children's Books
Book Week is a great opportunity to encourage kids with their love of reading and also support Australian authors. Read on to get some great 'dress up' ideas for Book Week 2022 based on much loved children books by Australian authors.
Dressing up as a book character is easy. Whether you buy it from a costume shop or want to make-it-yourself, here are some ideas you might want to consider.
Cosy up in a sheep costume for Where’s the Green Sheep?
This is a classic Mem Fox picture book written for the very young (0-5). The pictures show sheep doing different things with beautifully rhyming text. By clearly describing what the sheep are doing this book gently introduces children to simple adjectives.
Easy to read aloud and with fabulous illustrations by Judy Horacek, this book has inevitably become a popular bedtime favourite for many children and their parents. Follow the antics of the many different sheep and search for the green sheep until he is found at the end, fast asleep under a bush.
For those wanting to make a sheep costume at home - we have an easy DIY option with no sewing required. All you need is an old zip-up hoodie, loads of cotton balls (which you can paint green at the end if you want to be a green sheep), a hot glue gun, coloured felt, and matching long sleeve t-shirt and leggings. Get this cute sheep/lamb costume for your baby!
Be any animal from the menagerie in Animalia
Animalia is more than just an interesting alphabet book. In fact, it is a work of art and a book to keep kids interested for a long time. Written and illustrated by Graeme Base, every page is loaded with interesting creatures with beautiful background scenery filled with hidden items to discover. Kids love looking through the pages hunting for the missing items.
You can capture the spirit of Animalia by dressing up as any animal. Check out this lion costume and our range of other affordable and cute animal costumes to try out for Book Week!
Put on a bear costume for The Very Cranky Bear
When four friends - Lion, Sheep, Moose and Zebra - hunt for a place to take shelter while it is raining, they encounter a bear, and a cranky one! How do they cheer him up? With a rhyming pattern and a fun story that is equal parts suspenseful and silly, kids are sure to love reading this book written and illustrated by Nick Bland and enjoy listening to the narration.
You can find bear costumes in our store if you plan to dress up as the hero in this story! Different animal mask templates can be downloaded from this site to use with the costume. Check out this comfy bear/Pooh costume.
Transform into a magical creature from Thelma the Unicorn
Thelma is a horse, but that does not stop her from dreaming of being a unicorn. In an unusual turn of events, her wish almost comes true. But little does she realise that instant stardom is anything but fun. Written and illustrated by Aaron Blabey, the wannabe unicorn’s story is sure to thrill kids and keep them glued to the pages to find out what happens!
Turn into a sparkly unicorn with the help of lovely unicorn costumes from our costume shop.
Be a dragon and impress even those who say: I Don’t Believe in Dragons
The story revolves around a kindergarten teacher and her class. When the teacher, Miss May, says she saw a dragon, the children react in different ways. They wonder about what the dragon looks like, what it likes to eat, whether it could fly like a bird and so on. Only Jack does not believe in it.
So, do dragons really exist or not? You can find out what happens in this beautifully illustrated short picture book I Don't Believe in Dragons by Anna Walker.
Roar your way into a Book Week party dressed up as a dragon. You can find affordable dragon costumes at our costume store. If you are interested in making your own dragon costume, check out the instructions here.
Dress up as a woman for Baby Business
This beautiful picture book written and illustrated by Jasmine Seymour, a Darug woman, is the perfect way to introduce children to the smoking ceremony of a baby in the Darug community. The sweet narrative and the beautiful illustrations combine together to create a magical read.
Dress up as a woman with a baby doll. Use a wig, spectacles, shawl or a long dress to achieve the effect.
Put on the old lady costume for John Brown, Rose and the Midnight Cat
The gentle story by Jenny Wagner and illustrated by Ron Brooks follows an old woman and her pets - a dog and a cat. The dog is of the opinion that he can care for the old lady very well on his own. What follows is the story of how they make peace with each other and of acceptance.
It’s easy to dress up as an old lady, the cat or the dog. At Costume City, you can find all these costumes to dress up easily for Book Week. For hustling up an old lady costume, a wig, shawl and spectacles will do the trick. If you don’t have a wig handy, you might want to try making this one in this video with easy instructions.
Become a cuddly koala like Koala Lou
Be it story hour or bedtime reading, Koala Lou is a warm and sweet story that kids adore. Written by Mem Fox and illustrated by Pamela Lofts, this is an Australian classic. Koala Lou misses her mum’s attention. So to win and gain back her Mum’s attention, Koala Lou decides to enter into the Bush Olympics. This book is perfect for kids expecting new siblings and as a general reminder of enduring mother love.
Dress up as a sassy koala with the koala costume available in our costume store, complete with a mask.
Cook up some fun dressed up as a dingo for Wombat Stew
When a dingo decides to make a stew out of the wombat he has caught, he gets all sorts of helpful suggestions from different animals from the outback. Luckily for the wombat, the ideas do not end up making the stew better! A fun book by Marcia Vaughan and illustrated by Pamela Lofts to read out aloud in different accents for each character and also know the different animals living in Australia.
At Costume City, you can buy a dog costume to dress up as the budding chef dingo in this story! You can make a cool mask to go with the costume by following the steps in this link.
Beat the blues with a Bluey costume
Bluey and Bingo are two energetic pups that love exploring the world around them and imaginative play. Created by Joe Brumm, this popular TV series has also been converted to books featuring the Heeler family and have fascinated kids in Australia. Kids can easily identify with these two sibling doggies.
Dressing up as Bingo or Bluey is easy, thanks to the costumes and face masks available at our costume store. You can also print out Bluey mask templates to use on cardstock with string here.
Dress up as the man in The Arrival
The Arrival is a stunning wordless graphic novel by Shaun Tan. Although intended for older children, teens and adults, it is also suitable for younger children when shared with someone who can help explain it to them. Showcasing the departure of a father from his home and arrival in a strange land, this book contains hundreds of breathtaking images in sepia tones. The images convey powerful messages which are bound to evoke strong emotions for the reader.
The underlying message is of everyone (not just immigrants) experiencing the feeling of helplessness in a new place. The feeling of being overwhelmed by odd and scary experiences, which are also beautiful. The images in this book speak louder than words. Check out this video version of the book.
To dress up as the immigrant in this book, all you need is a brown or grey suit, shirt and trousers, a bowler hat and a suitcase.
This Book Week, you can bring characters and stories from Australian children books alive with your costumes! What a great way to remember and honour your favourite authors and know more about the rich traditions and creativity of Australia.
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