37 Amazing Book Character Costume Ideas for Teachers

By / / Education / 7 minutes of reading


What better way to get your students interested in reading than to dress as their favorite book character? Whether it’s for Halloween or you need ideas for a Book Character Spirit Day, we’ve got you covered with these fantastic book character costume ideas for individuals and groups!

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Individual Book Character Costume Ideas for Teachers

Group Book Character Costume Ideas for Teachers

Individual Book Character Costume Ideas for Teachers

Amy B., pre-K–6th librarian, for We Are Teachers

Mo Willem’s Pigeon

Dressing like this beloved mischievous bird is easy with a knit cap from Etsy seller Allie Hats. Attach the sign to a yardstick and stick it in your back pocket, and you’ll have a “caption” all day long!

Teacher dressed as the palm tree from the book Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
Jenn White, kindergarten teacher, for We Are Teachers

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

We love the idea of being the coconut tree from this adored alphabet book! Add letters to a brown tunic and make yourself a headdress from construction paper.

Teacher dressed as the Very Hungry Caterpillar for Halloween
Presley, 2nd grade teacher, for We Are Teachers

Very Hungry Caterpillar

Want to make this costume even funnier? Spend the day constantly eating some of the items from the book! Grab the green tutu on Amazon and use your creativity for the rest.

Teacher wearing a green ribbon bow around her neck
Jen E., middle school ELA teacher, for We Are Teachers

The Girl With the Green Ribbon

Remember that creepy tale from Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark? She’d never take off her ribbon, and never tell anyone why …

Teacher wearing a plush donut costume
J. Douglas, 4th grade teacher, via We Are Teachers
Teacher dressed as the mouse from If You Take a Mouse to School
Jessica Arconti, preschool teacher, for We Are Teachers

If You Take a Mouse to School

You can go the classic route with a big cookie, but this version of the book is even better for a teacher costume. This idea comes together in a snap with a pair of overalls and some mouse ears.

Teacher dressed as Holly Golightly from Breakfast at Tiffany's
Heather Q., 8th grade teacher, for We Are Teachers

Holly Golightly

Channel your inner Audrey Hepburn for this costume based on the movie version of Capote’s classic Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

Teacher dressed as the Mad Hatter for Halloween
Kathy G., high school art teacher, for We Are Teachers
Librarian dressed as Pete the Cat, holding a stuffed Pete and a copy of a Pete the Cat book
Amy B., pre-K–6 librarian, for We Are Teachers

Pete the Cat

Add big colorful buttons to a yellow shirt, add some cat ears, and you’ve got a Pete the Cat costume! If you can do the different-colored sneakers, even better.

Teacher dressed as the main character from the book A Bad Case of the Stripes
Presley, 2nd grade teacher, for We Are Teachers

A Bad Case of the Stripes

Kids will adore this super-colorful costume. If you don’t want to paint your arms and legs with face paint, you can buy striped leggings and a striped long-sleeve shirt instead.

Teacher dressed as Fly Guy and holding the picture book
Sarah A., 2nd grade teacher, for We Are Teachers

Fly Guy

Those fly eyes made from paper plates are totally cute and easy enough for any teacher to make. You can also make your own wings, or pick up a pair on Amazon.

Teacher dressed as Phileas Fogg in a hot air balloon costume for Halloween
Lisa Jacobs for We Are Teachers

Phileas Fogg

If you really love putting effort into your costumes, take inspiration from this incredible Around the World in 80 Days costume! A giant beach ball balanced in a Hula-Hoop forms the “balloon,” and a pair of steampunk goggles adds an authentic touch.

Teacher wearing a penguin costume with question marks attached
Haley Balog for We Are Teachers

Puzzled Penguin

This adorable penguin onesie costume is practically like wearing jammies to school. Just attach some question mark cutouts to transform it into the beloved book character.

Teacher dressed as the main character from the book Pinkalicious
Brooke Reynolds, 4th grade teacher, for We Are Teachers

Pinkalicious

Is it possible to like the color pink too much? Nah, of course not! Here’s the pink boa and tutu you need for this costume.

Teacher dressed in a Ms. Frizzle book character costume
Ms. Tranchilla, 2nd grade teacher, for We Are Teachers

Ms. Frizzle

This is one of those teacher Halloween costumes that’s become a perennial favorite. Don’t forget to attach a stuffed lizard pal to your shoulder!

Teacher wearing a green dress with vines wrapped around it to be Poison Ivy for Halloween
Daletta G. for We Are Teachers

Poison Ivy

It’s easy to find artificial ivy strings. Just dress in green, wrap yourself in vines, and you’ve transformed into the classic comic book character!

Teachers dressed in striped shirts in hats as Where's Waldo?
Brianna Sayegh, high school teacher, for We Are Teachers

Where’s Waldo?

This one works as a solo costume or one for you and your teacher BFF. Wear your own striped shirt, or buy a Waldo costume on Amazon.

Teacher dressed as Little Red Riding Hood
Liz B., preschool teacher, for We Are Teachers

Little Red Riding Hood

This one is easy to create with a red cape and a basket full of treats. Got a teacher BFF? Ask them to be the Big Bad Wolf!

Teacher dressed as Snow White for Halloween
Kate A., kindergarten teacher, for We Are Teachers

Snow White

Before she was a Disney princess, she was a fairy tale character. Kids will recognize the Disney version best, and you can buy the costume on Amazon too.

Teacher dressed as Shrek for Halloween
Willa Barron, 8th grade ELA teacher, for We Are Teachers

Group Book Character Costume Ideas for Teachers

Teachers dressed as Party Animals for Halloween
Kaitlyn H., kindergarten, ESL teacher, for We Are Teachers

Party Animals

Mix animal costumes with birthday hats and noisemakers, and you’ve got the whole cast of characters from Tara Lazar’s adorable book!

Teachers wearing colorful tutus and t-shirts to represent One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
Brittany G., 3rd grade teacher, for We Are Teachers

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish

The colorful tutus are fun, but it’s those headbands that really make this teacher team costume pop!

Teacher duo dressed as The Lorax and Sneed
Amy, pre-K–6 librarian, for We Are Teachers
Teachers dressed as characters from Frog and Toad are Friends
Melanie Nielsen, 2nd grade teacher, for We Are Teachers

Frog and Toad

This is an amazing costume idea for two teacher besties. They’re friends forever, just like Frog and Toad!

Teachers and school staff dressed as farm animals and other characters from Charlotte's Web
Brittany G., 3rd Grade for We Are Teachers

Charlotte’s Web

Want something the entire school can get in on? Try the farm animals and other characters from Charlotte’s Web!

A group of teachers dressed as characters from Laura Numeroff books
Stephanie Gable, 1st grade teacher, for We Are Teachers

Laura Numeroff Characters

If you give a teacher a Laura Numeroff book, they’ll turn it into a Halloween costume! Each teacher can pick their own favorite.

Teachers dressed as characters from The Magic Schoolbus
Gabriella S. for We Are Teachers

The Magic School Bus

Where would Ms. Frizzle be without the rest of the gang? Extra points if you can convince someone to dress up as the bus itself.

Group of teachers dressed as book character Junie B. Jones from different books
Gabriella S. for We Are Teachers

Junie B. Jones

This childhood favorite has been through dozens of adventures and looks a little different each time. That makes this a fantastic group costume, with each teacher dressing as their own version of Junie.

Teachers dressed as Winnie the Pooh characters for Halloween
Brooke B., 4th grade teacher, for We Are Teachers

Winnie-the-Pooh

You can go all out with Pooh-themed costumes, but you don’t need to. These simple T-shirts and headbands get the idea across perfectly and are much more practical.

Teachers dressed as characters from 101 Dalmations
Alex Jackson, middle school teacher, for We Are Teachers

101 Dalmatians

This was a book before it was a movie! Spend a day being spotted puppies, and don’t forget to find someone to be Cruella de Vil. You can grab her wig here on Amazon.

Teachers dressed as characters from the book The Bad Seed
Willa Barron, 8th grade ELA teacher, for We Are Teachers

The Bad Seed

Pick up some big sheets of poster board and create your own costumes for the characters from the popular picture book series. These kids made their teacher be the Bad Seed!

Teachers dressed as characters from the book Room on the Broom
Hilary Statum, kindergarten teacher, for We Are Teachers

Room on the Broom

This book is absolutely perfect for group teacher Halloween costumes. We especially love the teacher dressed as the broom itself!

Teachers dressed as characters from The Avengers
Stephanie Gable, 1st grade teacher, for We Are Teachers

The Avengers

We all know teachers are superheroes, so this group comic book costume seems especially appropriate.

Teachers dressed to represent the book Have You Filled a Bucket Today?
Brooke B., 4th grade teacher, for We Are Teachers
Teachers dressed as characters from Dr. Seuss books
Amy, pre-K–6 librarian, for We Are Teachers

Seuss Characters

Every kid knows their Dr. Seuss characters, and the huge array of books gives you so many to choose from. Try this Cat in the Hat accessory set for an easy idea.

Teachers dressed as crayons from the book The Day the Crayons Quit
Hayes Elementary 3rd grade teachers for We Are Teachers

The Day the Crayons Quit

This is a really popular book character costume idea, and it works well for big and small groups alike. Everyone can pick their favorite color!

Group of teachers dressed as characters from the Wizard of Oz
Brittany G., 3rd grade teacher, for We Are Teachers

Wizard of Oz

Another book-to-movie idea! This group costume idea is always a lot of fun, and there are lots of characters available for big teams.

Come share your book character costume ideas in the We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook!

Plus, All the Best Halloween Costumes for Teachers.



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About The Author

Avatar of Brenda Gray
Brenda Gray is a news writer for the Hold Tight Podcast. She writes about sports, education, and tech, with a focus on local stories that impact her community. Brenda has been writing for over 10 years and uses her skills to help inform the public about important issues. She also has a passion for playing the piano and enjoys spending time with her family when she's not working!

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