Editor’s Note: Playing Dress-Up

By Sharon Verbeten

Rooney (Waldo) and her mom Jessica really took to the assignment—Dress Like Your Favorite Book Character!

Remember playing dress-up? We probably all did as a kid; maybe some of your youngest patrons still do so at the library.

It’s enticing to play pretend every now and then, and books—our greatest escape—provide a great starting point. What book character would you most like to emulate? To dress up as? I’ve dressed up as The Cat in the Hat before, as well as Thing One (or was it Thing Two?).

But I’ve always been drawn to the slightly dark side—not exactly Darth Vader, more Roald Dahl or Neil Gaiman. These days, I’d love to lean into a decadent Willy Wonka (top hat and all!) or a creepy Coraline. Maybe this Halloween!

Lots of schools host dress as your favorite book character day, and I always love to see what people come up with—and just how far they’ll go to get the perfect look. My friend Jessica, who used to be one of my regular storytime moms, works at her daughter Rooney’s small private school in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

She said, “They don’t have an actual librarian, or even a budget for the library, and before I started volunteering, the kids didn’t get a chance to use the library. I got it organized. I enjoy it because I want all the kids to get a chance to borrow books. I was amazed when I asked who’s been to a public library because not as many kids raised their hands as I thought. I wish everyone took advantage of what libraries have to offer.”

Both Jessica and Rooney got into character during Spirit Week—mom dressed up as Arthur, while Rooney dressed up as Waldo. I think they got it spot—or, in Rooney’s case, stripes!—on. &