Book Week is almost here! Every year, children get excited about choosing a costume for the Book Week Parade… whilst most parents cringe at the mental load of yet another task to put on the ‘to do’ list. Help is here! We want to make your life easier with these simple, low-effort ideas that will have your kid looking the part as they march their way through that Book Week Parade for 2025.
As Book Week approaches (16 – 23 August 2025), the quest for the perfect Book Week Costume begins. This year’s theme is Book an Adventure! Here’s a selection of quick and easy costume ideas that are sure to captivate and impress.
Dive in and discover the world of possibilities that literature offers with this year’s theme: Reading is Magic!
- Classic Wizard
- Magical Mermaid
- Mysterious Detective
- Fart or Burp
- Whimsical Witch
- Jungle Explorer
- Magical Fairy
- Animal Kingdom
- Captain Underpants
- I’m a Barbie Girl
Hacks for an easy Book Week costume
Use an existing costume
This Pearle costume was entirely created by items in the costume box. Add book, and voila!
You don’t have to spend a fortune on a new costume… use something you already have in the costume box!
- Step 1: Check your child’s closet for a costume they already have.
- Step 2: Choose a costume.
- Step 3: Visit the local library and borrow the book for the costume you’ve found.
Use their Sports Uniform
If they play a sport, get them to wear their uniform. Simply find a book that matches that sport. Some ideas include:
- Football Academy by Tom Palmer – Any football kit
- Girls FC by Helena Pielichaty – Football kit + tiara (optional)
- Willy from Willy the Wizard by Anthony Browne – Football kit + monkey ears
- The Football Encyclopedia by Clive Gifford
- Football Superstars: Football Rules the World by Simon Mugford (Author), Dan Green (Illustrator)
Wear Pyjamas
Choose a book where the main character wears pyjamas!
- Bedtime Stories – PJs, dressing gown and uggies.
- Tom from Tom’s Midnight Garden by Phillippa Pearce – Blue and white striped PJs
- Sophie from The BFG by Roald Dahl – Pink nightie + jar (of dreams)
- ‘Boy’ from The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg – Yellow PJs + blue dressing gown
- Grandmother from Little Red Riding Hood – Nightie + wolf ears/mask
- Ben from Penguin by Polly Dunbar – Green PJs with white dots
- Wendy from Peter Pan by J M Barrie – Light blue nightie
Wear Mufti
Fancy Nancy is an easy book week costume! Just use what you have in the costume box.
Find a book character that looks like your average child, add appropriate accessories and the matching book!
- Any of the girls from The Babysitter’s Club – make name tags & take baby dolls.
- Fancy Nancy – choose a fancy dress and accessorise, accessorise, accessorise! Add a teddy dog if you have one.
- Harry from Harry and the Bucketful of Dinosaurs by Ian Whybrow – Normal clothes + bucket + toy dinosaurs
- Charlie from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl – Normal clothes + golden ticket + chocolate bar
- Sophie from Sophie’s Adventures by Dick King-Smith – Normal clothes + wellies + (toy) snail
- Flat Stanely by Jeff Brown – Red & white striped t-shirt & jeans
The Classic Wizard
Wizard outfit from Big W
Step into the world of magic and mystery by dressing up as a wizard! All you need is a flowing robe, a hat, and a wand that holds the power to cast some incredible spells.
Inspiration: When we think of iconic wizards, characters like Dumbledore from J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” series and Gandalf from J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” immediately come to mind.
Where to Buy: Find the perfect wizard outfit from Big W for $35.
The Magical Mermaid
Mermaid outfit from Kmart
Transform into an enchanting mermaid and dive into the deep blue sea. With a shimmering tail and delicate seashell accessories, this costume is lots of fun to put together.
Inspiration: Characters like Ariel from Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” and the playful mermaids from J.M. Barrie’s “Peter Pan”.
Where to Buy: Find the ideal mermaid ensemble from Kmart for $16.
The Mysterious Detective
Detective Outfit from Costume Box
Embrace the thrill of mysteries by stepping into the shoes of a mysterious detective. This costume features a classic trench coat, a fedora, and a magnifying glass; kids will have plenty of fun in it.
Inspiration: Characters like the astute Sherlock Holmes, created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and the tenacious Nancy Drew.
The Whimsical Witch
Room on a Broom Outfit from Kmart
Unleash the magic by transforming into a whimsical witch. Adorned in a dark, flowing dress, a pointy hat, and a broomstick, this costume can be tied into a number of favourite literary characters.
Inspiration: Characters like the cunning witches from Roald Dahl’s “The Witches”, “Room on a Broom”, and the iconic witches of L. Frank Baum’s “Wizard of Oz” – both the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch – and, of course, the famous Hermione from “Harry Potter”.
Fairy Costume
Fairy costume from Blossom Costumes
Does this take you back to your own childhood? Kids will love dressing up with delicate fairy wings that shimmer, a wand that creates magic, and a sparkly dress that flies as you spin. It’s the perfect outfit for a little one with so many different books out there to inspire it.
Inspiration: Characters like the spirited Tinker Bell from J.M. Barrie’s “Peter Pan” and the diverse array of fairies from the “Rainbow Magic” series by Daisy Meadows.
Where to Buy: Find your perfect fairy ensemble from Blossom Costumes for $39.95.
The Jungle Explorer
Explorer Outfit from Smiffys Australia
Embark on a thrilling adventure through the dense jungles and uncharted territories as a fearless jungle explorer. Equipped with pants that are perfect for the rugged outdoors, a hat that shields you from the tropical sun, and binoculars to spot distant wonders, this costume will send you on an adventure.
Inspiration: Bear Grylls has an entire adventure set for kids that is the perfect inspiration for this outfit.
Where to Buy: Gear up for your jungle adventure from Smiffys for $50.95
Fart or Burp Book Week Costume
Grab a copy of “Fart and Burp are Superstinkers”
You read that right. Why not put the kids in charge of the book week costume this year and let them have some fun with it. All you need is to dress them up in all black and let them do the rest. Give them a big piece of cardboard and let them colour their own ‘fart’ or ‘burp’ and cut it out to stick on. It’s a great way to have a bit of a giggle!
Inspiration: If you haven’t read this book, then jump to it because “Fart and Burp are Superstinkers” by Zoe Foster Blake and Adam Nickel is great fun. See the book here.
Where to buy: Grab some cardboard from Kmart and let the kids create their own!
Animal Kingdom
Lion’s ears and tail
Whether your little one wants to roar like a lion, stand tall like a giraffe or jump around like a crazy monkey, an animal outfit is a nice and easy way for them to have some fun with this book week costume. The great part, there are so many different books with animals in them!
Inspiration: There are so many to choose from, including “Dear Zoo”, “Giraffes Can’t Dance”, and “The Lion King”.
Where to Buy: You can shop for a headpiece and tail, like this set here.
Captain Underpants
Captain Underpants outfit from Costume Box
A popular book with the boys, for those brave enough, it’s time to go to school in undies! Of course, it helps to have some clothes on underneath. All you need are some skin-coloured clothes with a bright pair of underpants to go over the top for an instantly recognisable outfit idea.
Inspiration: Shop the ultimate Captain Underpants outfit from Costume Box for $49.99.
I’m a Barbie Girl
Barbie dress from Big W
Let’s face it, Barbie is all the rage at the moment! And it’s one of the easiest people to dress up as for Book Week; after all, “You Can Be Anything!”. Your child can dress up as astronaut Barbie, doctor Barbie, horse-riding Barbie – your imagination is the limit.
Where to Buy: There are so many Barbie clothes around now!
