CHILDREN and adults in west Dorset brought literary characters to life this World Book Day.

Schools, nurseries and libraries took part in World Book Day 2022 last Thursday, March 3 to celebrate the importance of reading and how it can change people’s lives.

Local children taking part included Daisy Pawley from St Mary's Primary, who dressed as Rapunzel and Freya Cummings, 10, who dressed up as the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland. Nine-year-old Maddy Davies went the extra mile when she dressed up as national treasure, the late Captain Sir Tom Moore, who raised money for charity in the run-up to his 100th birthday during the pandemic.

Mum Heidi said: "She said he was an inspiration and she loves the book ‘100 Steps’ which is all about him."

Meanwhile, the Bridport-based Bank of Dreams and Nightmares outfit worked with St Mary’s Primary School in the run-up to to the day to create four storybooks for years 3,4,5 and 6. Sessions were hosted at the Lyric Theatre and as an added bonus the stories were read to camera as a surprise for the children and teachers by David Walliams, Hugh Bonneville and Dolly Wells.

This year marked the 25th anniversary of World Book Day, with the theme being the message 'You are a reader.'

Dorset Council’s Education Services joined forces with the council's Library Service to put together a range of activities and events.

Bridport Library hosted class visits last week from St Mary’s Primary School and library staff visited Bridport Primary School on the day.

Cllr Andrew Parry, Dorset Council Portfolio Holder for Children, Education, Skills and Early Help, said: “World Book Day is a fantastic opportunity to encourage the children and young people of Dorset to develop a love of reading."