World Book Day photo gallery: 175 quirky pictures and Cheshire’s most creative 2025 outfits
As World Book Day nears on Thursday, March 5, a new gallery looks back at 175 quirky pictures of children’s costumes and highlights some of the most creative outfits from 2025 across Portsmouth and Cheshire. The collection ranges from recent Victory Primary School photos to archival school shots dating back to 2005.
Victory Primary School and Portsmouth images in the 175-picture roundup
The gallery includes multiple photographs showing staff and pupils from Victory Primary School dressed to impress for World Book Day 2025. One image captures Buddy the dog from Victory Primary School in costume. The theme for World Book Day this year is 'Go All In', and youngsters also benefit from a book token to spend at participating stores. Several of the Victory Primary School pictures carry a photo credit reading Photos by Alex Shute.
Cheshire’s most creative World Book Day 2025 outfits
Children at schools and nurseries across Cheshire feature in a look back at the best costumes from World Book Day 2025. Entries include Kenzie Lowndes from Weaverham as Mr Bump; eight-year-old Keffran McGrath-McElhoney as Hattie Peck; eleven-year-old Louie Whittaker as Violet Beauregarde; Swayze, Kismet and Kasteel Lumsden as Willy Wonka, an Oompa Loompa and Charlie Bucket; two-year-old Leo Woodward as Postman Pat; five-year-old Ava Rose Leigh as Elsa from Barnton Primary School; Darnhall Primary School student Freddie Burke, seven, as Elmer the elephant; ten-week-old Joseph Lambert as Where's Wally; and the Smeds and the Smoos, Daisy Smith and Freddie Lee, six, who go to Wincham Primary School. What will your little ones be dressing up as this year? Let us know in the comments.
Archival school photos from 2005–2015
The gallery also assembles older World Book Day pictures from a range of local schools with year captions and named pupils. St Pauls in Burtonwood, 2014; St Peters, Woolston, 2012; Penketh Primary, 2012 — left to right in the rear row: Kiera Gerrard, Adam Glover, Jake Parker, Taya Currie, Gabrielle Andrus, and Ayesha Williams, with Ryan Williams and Charlotte Downes at the front; Woolston Community Primary School, 2008; St Bridgets School, 2011, showing Lily Harrison, 8, getting a fright from skeleton Daryl Richardson, 9; Penketh Primary School’s 2014 mad hatter tea party featuring Olivia Tran as Alice and Tilly Unsworth as the white rabbit. Additional entries include Statham Primary School, 2013; St Monica's Primary School, 2014, listing Ryan Jervis, Emilia Manfredi, Sam Harrison, Georgia Povey and Fabienne Fisher; Stockton Heath Primary School, 2015; a further St Monica's Primary 2014 group of Raphael Tabiner, Millie Haselden, Harry Smithers and Ben Warburton; St Vincent's Primary, 2015; Bruche Community Primary School, 2015; Ravenbank Primary, Lymm, 2014; Locking Stumps Community Primary School, 2005, with Sean Whitehead aged 8 as Captain Hook; Bradshaw Primary School, 2005, with Jade Sweeney aged 9 as Shrek; and Newchurch Primary School, 2005, pictured from left Amy Will, 7, Eleanor Dunston, 6, Oliver Weight, 7, and Richard Scholes, 7. Many of these images are credited as Image: NQ in the gallery captions.
Characters and themes run from Where’s Wally to Harry Potter and Dear Zoo
Costumes across the collection reference classic children’s books and characters: Where’s Wally, Harry Potter and Dear Zoo are singled out among the outfits. Children from schools across Portsmouth and its surrounding area are noted as having pulled out the stops for their dress-up, reflecting the gallery’s emphasis on playful, book-inspired looks. The 175-picture selection is presented as a way to celebrate reading while showcasing the 'Go All In' theme and the accompanying book token benefit for youngsters.
Gallery extras and assorted editorial items appearing alongside the pictures
The Cheshire gallery piece also contains several non-gallery editorial snippets. One item notes an episode of Baseball Bar-B-Cast in which Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman explain the Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System with help from MLB catcher Garrett Stubbs. Another line records that after dropping two title shots to Usman Nurmagomedov in 2025, Hughes' comeback tour begins on April 16 against Wilson at PFL Belfast. Elsewhere a note states that the five-time LPGA Tour winner retired from professional golf in 2023. A short sports commentary passage urges keeping an eye on three future NBA players. Finally, the Atlanta Falcons are planning to apply the franchise tag to tight end Kyle Pitts.
A digital subscription offer accompanying the gallery notes that a subscription can provide unlimited access to the website, premium content, fewer ads and loyalty rewards.
