I enjoyed Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett’s article about World Book Day and agree with her – I have never been convinced what the children get from it, but I can testify to the pressure on parents and stressed teachers (Tears, fancy-dress tyranny and tedious discourse: it can only be World Book Day, 7 March). She points out that the fancy dress burden still seems to fall on women’s shoulders and asks for dads who contributed to write in.
Sadly, I am no seamstress, but with more than a decade’s experience as a British army officer, I am equipped with construction skills involving cardboard, duct tape, zip ties and paint. A good prop is often easier than a costume.
With offspring going as Chas McGill from The Machine Gunners, I had constructed the tail fin from a German bomber as a prop – but did feel uneasy spray-painting a swastika stencil on it in the garage of my military quarters.
What adds more to the excitement is discovering the costume requirement 48 or even 24 hours before the event. So, if you are pushed for time or resources, the key is don’t choose the book, choose the costume and then “encourage” your offspring to embrace the book. But choose carefully. At key stage 2, The Gulag Archipelago might raise eyebrows.
Maj Richard Amey (thankfully retired)
Kelsall, Cheshire
• Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett imagines people complaining about children dressed as characters from Frozen for World Book Day because “it isn’t even a book!” Actually, since Frozen is now a stage musical, it will have a book, and thus can be said to meet the criteria. By the same logic, one of my colleagues marks the day by wearing the jacket of a Pink Lady from Grease around our supermarket.
Bryn Hughes
Wrexham
• I managed to make a Wimpy Kid papier-mache mask for my seven-year-old. And my older son made a witch’s costume for his own son. But these are probably exceptions as I am recovering from a hip operation and my artist son works from home. It is as much class peer pressure as competitive parent bragging rights. But something has to be done to avoid expensive, single-use costumes destined for landfill. Maybe only allow homemade?
Nick Cuthbertson
Sevenoaks, Kent
• For World Book Day, my three-year-old, Elva, wore a top hat and wand, which we made together to transform her into Mr Mistoffelees (From Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats by TS Eliot. Easy peasy, pressure free(s)y. It was Mum’s idea.
Liam Clancy-Kerrigan
Tynemouth, Tyne and Wear
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