SCHOOLCHILDREN across Swindon embraced the joy of reading on Thursday as World Book Day came to town.

The event, which has become increasingly popular in recent years, sees pupils come to school dressed as their favourite literary characters for a day of reading-inspired activities.

Celebrated in more than 100 countries and recognised by UNESCO, World Book Day also gives children the opportunity to exchange a £1 token for one of ten specially chosen books.

At Beechcroft Infants School, World Book Day marked the culmination of two weeks of work centred around Julia Donaldson’s ‘Charlie Cook’s Favourite Book’.

The school included parents in their children’s learning by encouraging them to learn the story - and the actions that go with it – in the evenings at home.

At the end of the school day on Thursday, parents, teachers and pupils at the school came together on the playground to tell the story they had all been practicing - complete with matching choreography.

English co-ordinator David Mildenhall said: “We’ve always done World Book Day, the children get dressed up, they bring in their favourite books to share and we do book reviews.

“Charlie Cook’s Favourite Book was really well suited because it is about a boy who encounters all these different characters.

“Today all of the children have been planning their own version of the book to write tomorrow and it was lovely for them to look around the classroom, see their friends dressed as popular book characters and find ways to use them in their own stories.

“It has been great to use the day to bring together a whole-school reading and writing event like this.”

Among the usual pirate and princess outfits was a particularly creative effort from one young boy who came dressed as a human dictionary.

The teachers all came as characters from the school’s book of choice, with Headteacher Jo-Anne Rutt leading the way dressed as a parrot.

She said: “It has been great, it was a two week project but today we started the day by re-telling the story book in assembly.

“When we got to the part where our character featured each staff member had to get up and do something for all the children which was absolutely hysterical.

“I think everyone has really enjoyed themselves.”

As part of the project the pupils were encouraged to copy Charlie Cook and find a cosy reading spot at home to call their own.

Parents sent in photos of their children reading everywhere from their favourite armchair, to a tent, to a cupboard under the stairs.

It all adds to the World Book Day goal, encouraging children to associate books with fun and adventure - making reading something they want to do by choice not just because they have to.