150 Book Week Costume Ideas for Kids
Every year Book Week turns classrooms, libraries and school halls across Australia into colourful celebrations of reading. Students dress up as their favourite characters and bring stories to life through costumes and imagination.
For many families, the biggest challenge isn’t celebrating books – it’s deciding what costume to wear. Some children want to dress as their favourite character from a beloved story, while others just need a simple costume idea that works for the school parade.
The good news is that Book Week costumes don’t need to be complicated. Many of the best costumes come from classic children’s books and can be recreated with simple costume pieces.
If you’re looking for inspiration, here are 150 Book Week costume ideas for kids, including classic characters, easy costumes and creative dress-up ideas for school.
Classic Book Character Costume Ideas
These famous storybook characters are always popular during Book Week because teachers and students instantly recognise them.
Harry Potter
Harry Potter remains one of the most popular Book Week costumes in Australian schools. A wizard robe, round glasses and a wand are all you need to recreate the famous Hogwarts student.
Matilda
Roald Dahl’s Matilda is a great Book Week costume for younger students. A simple blue dress, a stack of books and a red ribbon can easily represent the clever and brave character.
Willy Wonka
Inspired by Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Willy Wonka is a colourful and fun character to dress up as. A purple jacket, top hat and walking cane instantly create the look.
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Dorothy – The Wizard of Oz
Dorothy’s blue dress and ruby shoes make this a classic Book Week costume that works perfectly for school parades.
Alice – Alice in Wonderland
Alice is a timeless character recognised by students of all ages. A blue dress and white apron recreate the famous look from Lewis Carroll’s classic story.
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Easy Book Week Costume Ideas
Sometimes the best costumes are the simplest ones.
Where’s Wally
A red striped shirt, glasses and hat instantly create the Where’s Wally character recognised from the popular puzzle books.
Mary Poppins
Mary Poppins is a charming character choice for Book Week. A classic hat, umbrella and dress recreate the famous nanny from the beloved story.
Peter Pan
Peter Pan is a fun costume for adventurous kids who love classic stories about Neverland.
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Many families also look for simple accessories that can quickly turn everyday clothes into a Book Week costume. Hats, glasses, capes and character accessories are often enough to create a recognisable look for school.
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Book Week Costume Ideas for Boys
Many boys enjoy adventurous characters from classic stories and fantasy books.
Popular choices include:
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Harry Potter
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Peter Pan
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The Mad Hatter
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Captain Hook
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The Gruffalo
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The Big Friendly Giant
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Charlie Bucket
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Willy Wonka
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Robin Hood
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The Mad Hatter
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Book Week Costume Ideas for Girls
Girls often enjoy dressing as classic characters from well-known children’s books.
Popular ideas include:
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Matilda
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Alice in Wonderland
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Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz
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Little Red Riding Hood
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Mary Poppins
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Goldilocks
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Pippi Longstocking
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The Queen of Hearts
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Tinker Bell
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Wendy from Peter Pan
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Book Week Costume Ideas for Teachers
Teachers often join the fun during Book Week celebrations.
Popular teacher costume ideas include:
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Miss Trunchbull (Matilda)
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Willy Wonka
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The Cat in the Hat
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Mary Poppins
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The Mad Hatter
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Professor McGonagall
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Cruella de Vil
Teacher costumes that are comfortable for the school day usually work best.
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Last Minute Book Week Costume Ideas
Sometimes Book Week arrives quickly and families need a costume at short notice.
Some easy last-minute ideas include:
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Where’s Wally
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The Cat in the Hat
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Harry Potter
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Alice in Wonderland
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Matilda
These characters can often be created with simple costume pieces or accessories.
100 More Book Week Costume Ideas
Here are more characters and creative costume ideas for Book Week:
Paddington Bear
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Fantastic Mr Fox
Charlotte from Charlotte’s Web
Anne of Green Gables
Little Prince
The Lorax
Horton the Elephant
Sam-I-Am
Fox in Socks
The Grinch
Geronimo Stilton
Tintin
Asterix
Obelix
Frog from Frog and Toad
Toad from Frog and Toad
Stuart Little
Ramona Quimby
Junie B Jones
Amelia Bedelia
Flat Stanley
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Greg Heffley
Captain Underpants
The Bad Guys
Narwhal from Narwhal and Jelly
Judy Moody
Nancy Drew
The Hardy Boys
Percy Jackson
Hermione Granger
Ron Weasley
Luna Lovegood
Hagrid
Albus Dumbledore
Professor Snape
The White Rabbit
Cheshire Cat
Mad Hatter
Queen of Hearts
Humpty Dumpty
The Tin Man
Scarecrow
Cowardly Lion
Willy Wonka
Charlie Bucket
The BFG
Fantastic Mr Fox
George from George’s Marvellous Medicine
Matilda
Miss Honey
James from James and the Giant Peach
The Giant Peach
Mr Tumnus
Lucy Pevensie
Peter Pevensie
Edmund Pevensie
Aslan
Prince Caspian
Bilbo Baggins
Gandalf
Smaug
Robin Hood
Friar Tuck
Little John
King Arthur
Merlin
King Midas
Medusa
Hercules
Zeus
Athena
Poseidon
Treasure Island Pirate
Long John Silver
Jim Hawkins
Captain Nemo
Phileas Fogg
The Time Traveller
Alice
Dorothy
Peter Pan
Wendy Darling
Mouse from The Gruffalo
The Smartest Giant in Town
Room on the Broom Witch
Zog the Dragon
If you're preparing for this year’s school parade, explore our complete range of Book Week costumes and accessories for kids.
Browse Book Week costumes
Book Week is a celebration of imagination, creativity and storytelling.
Whether a child chooses a famous character from a classic novel or a simple costume inspired by their favourite story, the most important thing is enjoying the experience and celebrating books.
With so many characters to choose from, Book Week costumes are a fun way for students to bring their favourite stories to life at school.
More Book Week Costume Collections
Browse our popular Book Week costume collections:
• Girls Book Week Costumes
• Boys Book Week Costumes
• Teacher Costumes
• Superhero Costumes
• Animal Costumes
• Storybook Costumes
