Children's Book Week ® Costume Ideas​

Guide to easy costumes from West Australian Books!

Picture


Get ideas, read the books with your kids and parade at Children's Book Week® with a wicked West Australian character. 
​
​This guide covers new and old WA stories that are not only favourite reads but also make for easy and enjoyable costumes. 
Browse through a list of costumes here

Feel free to add your own and help us build our guide by submitting it through the enquiry form on our website. 

Cristy Burne

Cristy has a range on easy-to-assemble costumes on her website.
You might even have some of these in your own wardrobe!
Choose from
  • Wednesday Weeks
  • To the Lighthouse
  • Beneath the Trees
  • Off the Track
  • Aussie Stem Stars​
​

James Foley

Picture
James has a collection of fun and easy costume ideas for his characters from his Secret Agent Mole series, along with some printable masks that children can colour and cut out.
Choose from:
  • Helena Hippo
  • Bug
  • Max Mole

​
*James does not recommend dressing up as Dr. Nude. It may be the easiest, but a very very bad idea.*

Sally Barton & Cherie Dignam

Download these simple instructions and create your very own Sheepy Headband!

It’s baa-rilliantly easy, wildly woolly*, and 100% guaranteed to turn heads (especially other sheep). Perfect for bookweek (or just lounging fabulously in fleece.)
*Warning: May cause excessive cuteness, spontaneous bleating, and a sudden urge to frolic in open fields.

​Book Costume Ideas From Australian Authors

Matt COSGROVE has created a range of printable masks.
Just print, colour in and then cut them out!
Choose from 
  • Macca the Backpacker
  • Dharma the Llama
  • Mighty Mac
  • Sensation-AL
Click here for Easy Matt's Macca the Alpaca Book Week Ideas
Bowerbird Blues by Aura PARKER
​Got the Bowerbird Blues? Check video from Zoe Arnold follow her awesome tips and hunt for blue things!

Still Looking for Inspiration? Check Out These Links:

WASLA - West australian school library association
  • Penguin – from Frank’s Red Hat by Sean Avery – wear a red beanie and a penguin onesie
  • Giraffe – from Bev and Kev by Katrina Germein and Mandy Foot – wear a headband with ears and spots on a yellow t-shirt
  • Llama’s – from Llama’s in Pyjamas by Matt Cosgrove
  • Grandma – from What Do you Call your Grandma by Ashleigh Barton
  • Butterfly – from The Butterfly Circus by Francesca Armour-Chelu – Black clothes and Butterfly wings
and more...
ALIA GRAPHIC NOVELS AND COMICS
  • Dogman by Dav Pilkey
  • Goku from Dragon Ball Z by Akira Toriyama
  • Nyneve from Witchy by Ariel Slamet Ries
  • Luffy from One Piece by Eiichira Oda
CHILDREN'S bOOKS DAILY
Simple costume ideas:
  • Mr Fox from Roald Dahl's story, Fantastic Mr Fox - wear a suit with an orange tail and a fox mask
  • Frida Kahlo from Me, Frida by Amy Noveski - add a flower crown

Tip from Megan Daley: If you don't want your child carrying around a book all day, print off the cover of the book and add it to a lanyard. 
PENGUIN BOOKS AUSTRALIA
Find out how to dress up as one of these iconic children's book characters:
  • Bluey
  • Emma Memma
  • Chippy Chasers
  • The Very Hungry Caterpillar
  • Matilda​
Find out more here.
Mum's grapevine
Learn how to create one of these well-loved characters at home:
  • Diary of a Wimpy Kid
  • The Gruffalo
  • No One Likes A Fart
  • The Rainbow Fish
  • The Paper Bag Princess
Learn more here.