Stuck for inspiration for your kid’s Halloween party? Need suggestions for your children’s trick or treat costumes? Look no further because you’ve come to the right place!
We’ve put together inspiration from some of our favourite Farshore books of 2018. Dressing up as any of these characters will make your children’s Halloween celebrations that extra bit special.
Cruella de Vil
Cruella de Vil returns just in time for this year’s World Book Day in Peter Bently and Steven Lenton‘s brand new book, Cruella and Cadpig.
When Cadpig gets lost playing hide-and-seek, she stumbles into the path of the evil Cruella de Vil. But can her new furry friends help her escape?
Originally appearing in Dodie Smith’s story The Hundred and One Dalmatians, Cruella has become a classic baddie and is guaranteed to give anyone a chill (especially dog lovers!).
This timeless villain is instantly recognisable with her shock of black and white hair and love of long fur coats.
Amelia Fang
Amelia Fang is the coolest little vampire out there. She lives in the spooky land of Nocturnia, which means that for her, it’s Halloween every day.
Amelia is back this month in the new book Amelia Fang and the Memory Thief (just in time for some fang-tastic Halloween reading) and in honour of her brand-new adventure, author and illustrator Laura Ellen Anderson is showing us how it’s done.
Here’s Laura dressed-up as Amelia when we filmed her reading from her first book Amelia Fang and the Barbaric Ball earlier this year in a creepy graveyard.
Wearing Amelia’s trademark orange, black and white striped skirt, bat wings and messy bun, you’ll be instantly recognisable as the smartest vampire on the block. Just don’t forget to bring a small pumpkin with you – Amelia never leaves home without her pet pumpkin Squashy!
Why don’t you take our quiz to find out which Amelia Fang character you are? And check out these great costumes from Amelia fans for more inspiration:
All sorts of serious going down at the #ameliafang #barbaricball this evening! @Lillustrator @tiffgingersnap pic.twitter.com/RdBbXV6Eux
— janene spencer (@ooobop) October 24, 2017
We love #AmeliaFang ? pic.twitter.com/KsrUE95VLV
— ? Danny Pearson ✎ ? (@Danny_D_Pearson) October 16, 2017
The Magic Misfits
Do you believe in magic?
The coolest bunch of characters have landed, and they’re perfect for Halloween dress-up. Emmy award-winning actor Neil Patrick Harris has invented a band of magical apprentices who use their conjuring know-how to stop crime and escape from sticky situations.
Led by the mysterious Mr Dante Vernon, the six Magic Misfits hail from all walks of life and each have a unique talent which helps them in their adventures. With Carter, Leila, Theo, Ridley and the twins Izzy & Olly (not to forget old Mr Vernon), kids will have great fun dressing as their favourite magical character.
Each book contains a treasure trove of tips, codes and stage tricks that will help anyone join the Magic Misfits and make some magic of their own. Perfect for dazzling friends at Halloween parties!
The Magic Misfits book one is out now in paperback.
Unicorns and Llamas
There’s not one but two trendy animals that everyone wants to dress-up as this year. The hardest part is knowing which to choose: unicorns or llamas?
For our single-horned friends, you can find some glittery, rainbow inspiration from The Ultimate Unicorn Joke Book, and for llamas then look no further than our search-and-find book Where’s the Llama?
Mr Gum
Everyone’s favourite grouchy old man made a surprise appearance this year in the hilarious Natboff!: One Million Years of Stupidity.
This bonkers character is perfect for Halloween dress-up – you just need a big orange beard and you’re halfway there! Add a top hat (a crooked one gets extra points) and a long dark coat and Mr Gum will be scaring squirrels left, right and centre this Halloween.
Check out these amazing Mr Gum costumes from fans.
I confess to buying part of J's World Book Day outfit. I had given him 2 weeks to grow a beard but he struggled… #MrGum #WorldBookDay pic.twitter.com/FlCuRRiFpd
— Elaine 💚🤦🏻♀️☕ (@enonamouse) March 2, 2017
All set #MrGum #wbd2018 #WorldBookDay pic.twitter.com/7LejD1yQZK
— Laura Braun (@Braunteaches) March 1, 2018
Jane Doe
New kid on the block, Jane Doe is not to be messed with. The heroine of The Cradle of All Worlds has a unique talent: she can generate huge earthquakes when she gets angry, scared or upset. Setting off on her quest to save her father (and possibly the fate of All Worlds), she wears a black travelling cloak, carries a lantern and has in her possession a large and mysterious key…
And remember, dressing up isn’t just for humans as this book shop proved when they dressed their dog up to celebrate the launch of The Cradle of all Worlds earlier this year. Cute!
*gasp* Yesterday, the lovely folks at New Edition in Freo dressed up their store dog, Johnny, as John Doe! Complete with a hooded cloak! And a key around his neck! I AM DEAD NOW! ???? #CradleOfAllWorlds pic.twitter.com/P4euw6MmxN
— Jeremy Lachlan (@jeremylachlan) August 11, 2018
