Pupils don fancy dress to mark Children’s Book Week

CHILDREN brought their favourite storybook characters to life during one of the country’s biggest celebrations of reading.

Dracula, Batman and Narnia characters rubbed shoulders at Dorothy Barley Junior School, in Ivinghoe Road, Dagenham, to mark Children’s Book Week on October 6.

The fancy dress party honouring literary greats and DC comics this year celebrated writing around the world.

African story teller Effua Daniels wowed the children on Friday and performing poet John Siddique recited verses on Thursday.

Dorothy Barley literary co-ordinator Sonia Barber, 34, said: “It was lovely to see children dress up. They really enjoyed themselves.”

Among this year’s favourite titles were My Village: Rhymes from Around the World, J is for Jamaica: A whistle-stop tour of the Caribbean island by Benjamin Zephaniah and French children’s novel Toby Alone.

The next big literary celebration is World Book Day in March 2011.