What it is
World Book Day in the UK and Ireland is a celebration of reading for children, usually held on the first Thursday of March. Schools mark it with events, book recommendations and the well-known tradition of dressing up as favourite book characters. It differs from the UNESCO World Book and Copyright Day in April.
For brands it is a warm, family-friendly hook. Bookshops, education businesses, kids’ shops and cafés can all join in with costumes, reading corners and recommendations by age.
Symbols: A costume of a book character, a reading corner, a stack of picture books, a library card, a bookmark
Emoji: 📚 🦉 🧙 🎭 🖍️ ☕
Colours: Navy, warm yellow, red
Hashtags: #WorldBookDay #WBD #ReadingForPleasure #BookCharacterDay #ChildrensBooks
What to aim for
- Reach parents and teachers with useful book recommendations
- Drive visits or orders for books and reading bundles
- Earn engagement with a costume or favourite-book question
Post ideas by format
Post
- A photo of your team in book-character costumes, with a question asking followers who they guess each one is
- A recommendation post: one book for each age group, with a single line on why children enjoy it
Carousel
- “Books by age: 3–5, 6–8, 9–12”: one slide per age group with three titles and a note on the theme
- “How to make a costume in 5 minutes”: one slide per idea using things from home
Reel / short video
- Hook: “Guess the character.” Team members act out a character from a book in 5 seconds each
- A short clip of reading the opening lines of a children’s book in a funny voice
Stories
- A poll: “Costume or reading corner: which do you prefer?”
- A question sticker: “What was the first book you remember?”
Ready-made post examples
Layouts we wrote as examples. Replace the details with your own business before you publish.
It is World Book Day, and our team came to work as book characters! Swipe to see who is who and guess the books in the comments. Tell us which character your child wants to be this year, and we will share the funniest costumes in our Stories. Do not worry about complicated outfits: a scarf and a good story are enough.
For World Book Day our teachers have chosen books that children keep asking to read again: for early readers, for confident readers and for curious older children. Each title has a short note on why it works at home. Which book did your child love most this year? Share it in the comments, so other parents can find a new favourite.
World Book Day is on Thursday, so we have put together a reading bundle for children: a picture book, a bookmark and a small notebook for their own stories. You can choose the age group in our catalogue. Tell us your child’s favourite character, and we will recommend a bundle that fits them best.
Meme and trend formats that fit
- Expectation vs reality. Two panels: the costume you planned for the morning and the version the child actually wore. It is warm, relatable and suits parents.
- Which character are you?. A light personality-test format where followers choose a book character for each day of their week. Use only generic characters or your own illustrations.
What to avoid
- Do not use images of book covers or illustrated characters that you do not have rights to; name the books and use your own photos
- Do not shame parents who cannot buy costumes; suggest simple ideas made from home items
- Do not mix it with the UNESCO World Book Day in April; name the UK and Ireland event clearly
When to post
- Plan costumes and recommendations a week ahead and publish the age list on the Monday
- Publish on the morning of Thursday 4 March in 2027, when children arrive at school in costumes
- The next day, share photos of costumes with parents’ permission and keep your reading list pinned
What to check afterwards
- Saves of the age-based recommendation posts
- Comments with favourite books or costumes
- Orders or visits for books and bundles
Add one line about your business: the free generator gives three captions with hashtags for the network you choose. No sign-up.