A suitcase full of dreams

The BFG and a little brown mouse on their way to school

Today is World Book Day.

As part of the celebrations, all the children and staff were invited to dress up as a character from a favourite book.

And so, I have just taken the BFG and a little brown mouse to school, and handed them over to the care of the Head Teacher dressed as Cleopatra, a tin man and a gang of pirates. What brilliant fun! I almost wish I was back at school again.

But, I did get to enjoy some extremely rewarding sewing making the costumes with them the other evening after school. And, even better (even better than sewing?), while I was making the cape, I got to watch my six year old excitedly making props to go into the suitcase.

When people (usually complete strangers at the supermarket checkout) notice my bump, and, commenting on the fact it will be child number four to enter the household, respond with a "you're brave!" and look to accompany it that actually says "are you a bit insane?", they overlook things like World Book Day.

Jars of dreams - with (in case you haven't read the book)
deliberately poor spelling, just like the BFG's own labels.

The biggest girl ran to school today, and not because we were running late (which we sometimes are).

World Book Day is all about celebrating the magic of books and the significant places they occupy in our lives. And, for the biggest girl, this has been represented by the joy she took over hand writing labels of dreams, just like in her favourite book.

Scenes like the one at our kitchen table the day we made her costume together are the ones I wish I could show in response to the strangers who comment on my choices over family. (And maybe not the more chaotic scenes of three little girls squabbling over the `dream blower' and inadvertently clonking each other by racing round the house with the `dream catcher'...)

So, hurrah for brilliant authors who inspire our children, and, for the teachers like the ones at their school today, who threw themselves into making it a fun-filled day.