Children in Suffolk will be putting their creativity to the test as they design their best Oompa Loompa and Where’s Wally costumes ahead of World Book Day.

Ipswich Star: Children from across Suffolk and worldwide will celebrate the annual World Book Day. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWNChildren from across Suffolk and worldwide will celebrate the annual World Book Day. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWN (Image: Archant)

On Thursday, March 7, children around the world will “recognise the magical power of books” as they dress up as their favourite fictional characters and celebrate the wonderful world of reading.

Falling on the first Thursday of March every year, World Book Day “will show that reading is fun”, hopes Jayne Gould, the secretary of Ipswich Children’s Book Group.

She said: “Books are for life not just for one day.

“Ideally World Book Day will be a celebration of something that is happening all year round in schools and libraries. It is an opportunity to engage and inspire children with a love of books, to promote reading for pleasure and to show that reading is fun.”

Ipswich Star: Children from Sir Robert Hitcham's Primary School got into character to celebrate a late World Book Day in 2018. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWNChildren from Sir Robert Hitcham's Primary School got into character to celebrate a late World Book Day in 2018. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWN (Image: Archant)

Jayne, who also works as a librarian at Broke Hall Community Primary School, will be running a competition for the school’s children to design a ‘Character on a Can’ by decorating a Pringles tube to represent a book character. Prizes will be vouchers to spend at the book fair to be held in school just prior to World Book Day, which Jayne hopes will encourage families to visit bookshops together to discover new authors and titles.

Hannah Mee, a committee member at Ipswich Children’s Book Group, is also looking forward to the annual celebration.

She said: “It raises awareness of how much we enjoy and adore books. Books are constantly around and should never be ignored or forgotten.

“The wonderful worlds we are exported to and the memories and influences which shape us all. It takes us back, always causing conversation remembering books from our younger days and to evoke that with todays children is a fabulous thing!”

Hannah is also a librarian at Ipswich Prep School, which will be hosting a pyjama and favourite book day which ties in with the theme of Elmer which the children are helping to design.

She continued: “We will be sharing our favourite bedtime stories and what better way to spend the day sharing them in our PJ’s and onesies. The Elmer has a theme of Dreams and Aspirations, hence the bedtime theme. Stories are often read just before bed in a way to calm and ignite the imagination into a world of dreams.”

Will you and your children be celebrating World Book Day by creating a magical costume such as a patchwork Elmer? Send over photos of your child (or yourself) trying out your creative costumes to be featured in our gallery ahead of World Book Day.