I am one of those parents that absolutely loves World Book Day. The idea of creating a costume out of nothing that represents a book that my child loves. It helps that my years of bookselling have given me the edge for quirky characters that don't require much work too! Max is an avid reader and since hitting year two has absorbed any book given to him. I find him sat in bed with a torch way past his bedtime and engrossed in everything from Diary Of A Wimpy Kid to Who Let The Gods Out.
This year though, Max has become obsessed with one series of books. He's read them cover to cover more times than I can count and pestered the author via my social media more times than I dare to admit. It's a good job she likes me haha! Beetle Boy is the first in the series of books by M.G Leonard. It's a series that I've loved as much as Max has, and it's honestly one of the best new series for kids in the last however many years.
For Max's costume, he wanted to be the main character. A boy named Darkus Cuttle. A boy who is slightly unkempt, a bit eccentric and a huge fan of beetles. To be honest, it's the perfect character for Max. And one that I could fortunately make quite easily. Or so I thought. For whilst I had no problem finding the clothes themselves, I mean it's only a baggy jumper and jeans. The beetle was a different story.
As you can probably tell, Darkus' beetle is a special kind of beetle. It's one that needs to stand out from the crowd and be fiercely protective of Darkus. Baxter (the beetle) needed to be instantly recognisable. So of course I did what any other rational mother does.... I spent 4 hours making one out of polystyrene, florist wire and black gaffer tape.
I must say that the costume payed off. And despite having it pushed back a week due to the snow, it was truly a fantastic experience to see him walk his beetle into school with pride. It even had pride of place on the teachers desk throughout the day to make sure all the children did their work! For me, World Book Day is a day for children to discover their new favourite or even shout about their existing one. It's about thinking outside the box and finding something magical in the simplicity of reading.
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