Kids Book Character Costumes
A book character costume dresses your child as someone from a story they know, like Alice or a pirate captain, and we make ours for school reading day, the class play, and Halloween night. Every costume goes through over 30 measurement checks.
Learn more about our kids' book character costumes
Which book character costume to pick
Pick a character from a book your child knows, then check the set includes the detail that gives them away: the wand, the deerstalker-style hat, the eyepatch, the red hooded cape. Every set here goes on again for the next dress-up day, not just one day a year. Halloween and the Christmas play each have their own page, Kids Halloween Costumes and Kids Nativity & Christmas Costumes, and Kids Costume Occasions lists our other dress-up occasions.
Our favorite kids' book character costumes
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A hooded cape and a wand are the whole plan with the Boys Wizard Cape Costume with Wand, sized 4 to 14 years. |
The Kids Victorian Detective Costume pairs a tan coat with an attached tartan cape and a deerstalker-style hat, sized 4 to 14 years. |
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Head-to-toe silver does the job in the Boys Tin Man Costume, a top, pants, and hat in one set, sized 4 to 14 years. |
Nine pieces come with the Boys Pirate Captain Costume, from the foam sword to the boot covers, sized 3 to 12 years. |
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A blue dress, a white pinafore apron, and a bow headband make up the Girls Traditional Alice in Wonderland Costume, sized 4 to 14 years. |
The porridge-and-three-bears story needs the Girls Goldilocks Costume: a yellow dress with an attached apron panel and a headband, sized 4 to 12 years. |
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Grandma's house is the destination in the Girls Little Red Riding Hood Costume, a checked-apron dress with a red hooded cape, sized 4 to 14 years. |
Sizes, what's in the box, and care
We size every pick above by age rather than your child's usual clothing size, and the top sizes differ: the pirate captain and Goldilocks sets stop at 12 years, the rest at 14. The wand, the foam sword, the hats, and the headbands come in the set; shoes and undergarments aren't included with any costume here. Fabric pieces take a cold hand wash and an air dry.
Frequently asked questions
What size book character costume should I buy?
Go by age, not everyday clothing size: most of these run 4 to 6 years through 12 to 14 years, and the Boys Pirate Captain Costume adds a 3-to-4-year toddler size. Size up if your child runs tall for their age, and check the size chart on each product page before you order.
What comes in a kids' book character costume?
Each set here pairs the outfit with the piece that makes the character, like the wand with the wizard cape or the eyepatch and foam sword with the pirate captain. None of the sets on this page include shoes.
Is this a book character or a movie character costume?
These are our own designs of classic storybook characters, not costumes from any one film or studio.
Can my child wear one of these for school reading day or spirit day?
Yes. Check your school's note on props first: a foam sword or a wand is sometimes asked to stay home that day.
Are these World Book Day costumes?
They work for it. World Book Day runs in the UK each March; American schools mark the same idea with Read Across America Day or a spring reading week, and every costume here fits either event, plus Halloween and any class dress-up day.
