Book Week Parades - the good and the not so good!

We have reached the end of another book week. Apart from my own childhood I have been participating and observing Children's Book Week celebrations sinch 1985. 

Components of Book Week here in Australia

• The CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) Awards 

Fifteen judges read hundreds of books over about eight months; a long list (or Notables list of up to 125 titles in 5 categories) is announced in February; a short list in six categories (including New Illustrator) is announced and then in August the award winners and honour titles are announced. Hopefully over this time every school library has added many of these books to their library collections and more importantly has shared these books with groups in their libraries and with class teachers and also hopefully they might have shared other books by the nominated authors or illustrators and perhaps even explored the slogan through book choices. By the time Book Week is celebrated young readers in our Primary Schools, preschools, and High Schools should be familiar with many of the notable and short-listed books and also the slogan.

• The Book Week slogan

Twelve months before Australian Children's Book Week the CBCA announce the slogan, or some people call it the theme, and reveal the illustrator who will create the associated merchandise such as posters. Some of my favourite slogans from the past are: Sail Away with books 1987 (art by Bob Graham); Imagine if you will…. 1990 (art by Ron Brooks); Anywhere Anytime Anybook 1996 (art by Steven Woolman); Weave the Book Web 1999 (art by Junko Morimoto); Oceans of Stories 2003 (art by Armin Greder); Book Safari 2009 (art by Matt Ottley); Books light up our world 2015; Curious Creatures, Wild Minds 2020 (art by Gwyn Perkins); and Reading is Magic 2024 (art by Jess Racklyeft).

• In NSW we hold a Night of the Notables (longlist)
• In March the Shortlist is announced via a professional video
• August is Australian Children's Book Week

Now onto the topic of this post - 

• Costume Parades and dressing up for Book Week 

Here are my thoughts organised under the headings - good and no so good.

The Good:

I saw some great ideas this year. In one school the kids and the Teacher-Librarian made simple costumes at school - no pressure on parents, no 'winning' competitive parents, no need for parents to be experts at arts and crafts; everyone can be involved; no 'rich/poor' divide; and this must have been fun. Hopefully also it had the essential BOOK focus. 

Or there is this idea where children can borrow a costume (for free).

At Kingston Primary School in Tasmania's south, a book week costume library is open for business in the days leading up to the book week parade. The costumes have been donated and come with a book to match. ... Over the past three years, Ms Briant and Tasmanian independent politician, David O'Byrne, have put together costume libraries for five schools. So far, close to 300 children have borrowed outfits.

Another idea I saw was from a local school near me. The Teacher-Librarian asked the children to come dressed in a way that matched the 2025 Slogan - Book an Adventure - she wanted them to come as adventurers. (As a side note to this I also on Facebook one of our celebrity Teacher-Librarians and her library staff - she is in a private school, so she has actual library staff - all dressed up as travel agents or perhaps flight attendants - a fun way to link with the slogan).

Not so good: Here are some things to think about:

Should the costume relate to a book? My view is a resounding yes, but I did see a lot of television shows; movies; and computer game related costumes.

Should the costume book be Australian? I am not quite so adamant about this one, but I did see way too many teachers dressed up as crayons (The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt) and Alice in Wonderland (which I am going to say I doubt many of the teachers had read); Peter Pan; Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Also, as usual there were lots of Where's Wally outfits and of course where would we be without Harry Potter or Snow White - easy costumes you can buy (assuming you are able to afford them) from chain stores.

Should the child carry a book if there is a parade or at least have a copy of the cover perhaps as a lanyard? My view is yes - this is all supposed to be a celebration of books and reading. 

Should the costume be for an actual book that has been READ and enjoyed by the child? Again, you know that I am going to say yes. I found it odd when I saw a young child aged 9 or 10 in a costume based on the George Orwell book Animal Farm for example. I recently read the term 'reverse engineering' - find the costume then find a book that somehow matches - I find that sad and completely the wrong way around. I also have an issue with dressing up as pirates - I saw this in a few schools and often as the costume of choice for groups of teachers. Modern day pirates are a real and terrifying. This topic needs to be treated sensitively especially if you have immigrant children in your school. It is also odd to see students in senior primary classes dressed as The Cat in the Hat or Thing One and Thing Two. Surely these are no longer the favourite books of children aged 11 or 12?

Should there be prizes? Absolutely NO in my opinion. Surely this is supposed to be a fun activity not a competition. I despair when things like this create 'winners and losers'. And this is even worse when parents think 'they' need to win!

Does the school need to have a book week dress up day? No - check out my previous posts about this. 2013; 2015; 2016; and 2022.

Thoughts from the CBCA:

Jo Panckridge is the national board chair for the Children's Book Council of Australia. She said the book week parade didn't need to be high stress for parents.

"The idea behind it being that children connect emotionally to a book or to a particular character and want to dress up and emulate them," Ms Panckridge said.

"It's since become a rush on Amazon to buy the best, biggest, blow-up marvel super hero comic outfit."

She said book week shouldn't be a chore. Ms Panckridge said book week is all about celebrating books and Australian writers.

"I would like to see it far more about reading, the love of reading, reading for pleasure and joining in creating this big youth culture where reading matters and reading is important."

The CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) turned 80 this year. The 1945 slogan was "United through Books" - that seems just as relevant today. Every CBCA State Branch organised their own celebration. I adore these images from Western Australia:

For their 80th Celebration the CBCA in South Australia gave their presenters a camellia which echoes the original prize given in 1945.

And finally this writer makes some important points:

The Neverending Story Book Week music

Last night on the ABC Radio quiz they asked a series of questions with music fragments and one was The Neverending Story. I always cheer when the quiz includes an children's literature question. 

I thought this music could be a perfect accompaniment to your Book Week exploration of the slogan Book an Adventure. Here is a video with the music and lyrics. Share your own favourite book week music in the comments. I also found the trailer for The Neverending Story (book by Michael Ende author of Momo - the name of this blog!). 

Turn around

Look at what you see

In her face

The mirror of your dreams

Make believe I'm everywhere

Hidden in the lines

Written on the pages

Is the answer to a never ending story

Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah

Reach the stars

Fly a fantasy

Dream a dream

And what you see will be

Rhymes that keep their secrets

Will unfold behind the clouds

And there upon the rainbow

Is the answer to a never ending story

Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah

Is it a Book or is it a Plane? by Mike Henson illustrated by Katie Vernon

Is it a Book or is it a Plane? is a perfect text to share with your library group when you introduce the 2025 CBCA slogan. The book itself, in this book, takes the children on an adventure. They use the actual book to act out all these things. It can be an aeroplane, a hat, a monster mask, a pirate ship or the book can take you to the moon. There are flaps to lift; holes to peer through; and pages that you need to turn. This is a brand-new book published just this week May 2025. 

"These pages could be anything! Take another look! One thing's for sure: they're definitely more ... than just a book."

Bookseller blurb: This is not a book. It's a plane! it's a dinosaur! and so much more! Dive into the book that isn't a book and interact with the pages to create exciting new objects and worlds. Fly the book like an aeroplane, wear it like a hat, turn it into a monster mask, transform it into a roaring dinosaur or sail it like a pirate ship!

The 2025 Children's Book Council of Australia slogan is 

Book an Adventure!

My friend from Kinderbookswitheverything and I always try to compile a Pinterest of book and poster ideas to link with the current CBCA slogan.  Take a look here to see our 2025 collection and then plan to come back because this will grow.

Some people call the CBCA slogan a theme but I prefer the term slogan.  

Slogan: a brief attention-getting phrase used in advertising or promotion

Here are some from the past that opened the way to great displays, promotion of reading, a some good discussions.

2020 Curious Creatures, Wild Minds

2019 Reading is My Secret Power

2018 Find Your Treasure

2015 Books light up our world

2013 Read across the Universe

2010 Across the Story Bridge

2009 Book Safari

2008 Fuel Your Mind

2003 Oceans of Stories

1999 Weave the Book Web

1994 Carnival of Books

1993 Go Under Cover

1992 Windows into Worlds

1991 Book into the Future

1990 Imagine if you will….

1989 Dream Time

1988 A Page of History

1987 Sail Away with books

1986 Key Into Books (this was my first ever book week slogan)

1985 Book Banquet

1984 Books Have it Covered   

1976 It’s Reading Time  

1975 Read All About It  

1974 Books for All Seasons  

1963 Make Books Your Friends  

1962 Time to Read   

1960 Treasure from Books  

1945 United Through Books

The Bridges by Tom Percival

With busy parents and no books in her life Mia lives in a grey sad world. Then one day a kind person leaves a book on her doorstep. If you look closely you can see the giver of this gift. Mia begins to read her new book and the world opens up. There are adventures and colours and new friends and best of all she has something wonderful to share.

Publisher blurb: Mia feels alone; so alone that it's as if she lives on a small island, far out to sea. But then one day, Mia is given a book - the first she has ever been able to call her own. As Mia reads the book, bridges appear and her island fills with colour and life. And the more Mia reads, the stronger the bridges become, opening up a world of connection and hope...  Because a book can take you anywhere...

See inside The Bridges here. 

This is a book you could use as a jumping off point to talk about the 2025 Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Book Week slogan.

Here are some review comments about The Bridges:

This is a must for every book corner and would be a great read-aloud for Years 1 and 2. With older children, I can see it being used as a start of term stimulus for a wider project about books and reading. It would elicit some interesting discussions about the metaphor of the bridges and islands. What would you find on the islands you visit through reading? Just Imagine

The illustrations connect the reader closely with the child in the book, moving the colour palette from sombre greys at the start to sharper, bright colours as Mia begins to cross the bridges. Books for Keeps

Tom Percival uses the metaphor of bridges throughout the book to demonstrate how reading, words and books can lead us to new worlds and can help us to make incredible connections. Mia follows bridges which grow stronger the more she reads. She visits magical worlds, discovers new facts and makes friendships all because of the power of reading. Now a confident, volitional reader, Mia knows how to help others who look lost and alone – she offers her book to them and continues to build even more bridges. Books for Topics

Look for these other splendid books by Tom Percival:

The Invisible; The River; The Sea Saw

Pictures at Play: Metafiction in Art Eric Carle Museum

 

Image from Julie Morstad It Began with a Page

Pictures at Play: Metafiction in Art

Metafictive books: those that tell stories about stories and about the art of storytelling itself. Artists experiment with styles, typography, and page design to delightfully disrupt the rules of how books usually work. 

Metafiction is not a new concept. Also on display are such classic titles as Peter Newell’s The Hole Book (1908), Dorothy Kunhardt’s Pat the Bunny (1940), and Crockett Johnson’s Harold and the Purple Crayon (1955).

The exhibition at the Eric Carle Museum is from May 4 - November 3, 2024 and it will feature the work of 29 illustrators. Wish I lived there so I could go! Read more here. [There is a bonus surprise at the bottom of this post]

I have added links to the illustrators webpages:

Aaron Becker, Richard Byrne, Lauren Child, Jason Chin, Raúl Colón, Lulu Delacre, Tony DiTerlizzi, Deborah Freedman, E.B. Goodale, Ekua Holmes, Oliver Jeffers, Barbara Lehman, Brian Lies, David Macaulay, Barbara McClintock, Oge Mora, Yuyi Morales, Julie Morstad, Christopher Myers, Kathryn Otoshi, Brian Pinkney, Jerome Pumphrey, Jarrett Pumphrey, Peggy Rathmann, Adam Rex, Dan Santat, Lane Smith, Melissa Sweet, Don Tate, Corey Tabor, Chris Van Allsburg, David Wiesner, Mo Willems, Pamela Zagarenski. 

My posts:

• Aaron Becker
• Deborah Freedman
• EB Goodale (she did the cover for the US edition of We are Wolves by Katrina Nannestad).
• Oliver Jeffers
• Brian Lies
• Oge Mora
• Melissa Sweet
• Chris van Allsburg
• David Wiesner

The exhibition has three thematic sections:

Speaking Out. While characters typically speak to each other in picture books, sometimes they break the fourth wall to speak directly to the reader.

Pictures within Pictures. Metafiction creators love the idea of infinity—infinite ways of reading and infinite meanings of a book.

Books about Books. Metafiction plays with the physical parts of a book. Characters can misbehave or battle each other across the pages, they can disappear into the gutter, or readers can even see themselves holding the same book they just opened.

You're finally here!

Here are a few books that match the topic of this exhibition:

Wordless books by Barbara Lehman

This is a Dog

Bear Hunt

Zoom

Press Here

The Wall in the Middle of the Book

Open this Little Book

Do not open this book!

This might be a bit of a stretch but our 2024 CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) slogan is Reading is Magic and I think you could add in some books from this post.  My friend from Kinderbookswitheverything (see below) has been exploring this theme in a variety of very creative ways but perhaps another idea might be look at books that 'break the fourth wall' - they certainly are examples of book magic!

KINDERBOOKSWITHEVERYTHING - explore these links - they are fabulous:

Reading is Magic: Magic: Everyday Items

Reading is Magic: Magical Creatures: Genies

Reading is Magic: Vocabulary

Reading is Magic: Potions, Spells, Charms and Curses

Reading is Magic: Magical Creatures: Magicians vs Wizards

Reading is Magic: Magical Creatures: Fairies

There's no such book by Jessica Dettmann illustrated by Jake A Minton

This book offers a fresh perspective on the whole ‘book week’ costume dilemma and should encourage young readers to think about ‘what really makes a book, a book?’ This book will enjoyed in schools and homes in the lead up to book week and it might inspire weird and wonderful costumes. (Hopefully based on books and not Disney or other commercial characters). 

There is an explosion of imaginative ideas on the cover of this book. The optimism of mum contrasts beautifully with the doubtful face of Ellie. Mum and Ellie are shown to be so different – in appearance and personality - yet they have such a wonderful and gentle bond. Mum’s patience and creativity is to be commended. Mum is creative and eccentric with wild red hair and a colourful cardigan, while Ellie is more scholarly and tidier, with neat straight black hair and a crisp school uniform. Their home is a wild and creative space – full of books, plants, tea, lamps and candlelight.

Mum and Ellie also have such gorgeous expressive faces. I especially adore mum’s huge glasses and hand knitted rainbow cardigan and you can feel the love behind the squeeze when mum hugs Ellie after telling her there will a costume solution in the morning. 

This is a single parent family but that theme is just in the background. In a poignant moment we get a hint about dad from the photo which we see early in the morning as Ellie heads down the hallway. 

The end papers come from the kitchen tiles and it interesting that the tile pattern disappears when Ellie tells her mum book week is tomorrow!

The house lighting gives the pages in this book a lovely soft glow and it is easy to identify nighttime and morning light. Mum’s collection of pot plants are also very appealing. Jake Minton has given mum and Ellie big wide eyes, the expressive faces and beautiful body language. 

There is a quiet, gentle connection between the mother and daughter and I so appreciate the love the mother shows when she makes that special book for her little girl. That lounge on the front cover looks so comfy. When you look closely you can see Mum has worked so late into the night on the new book for Ellie she didn't have the energy to put on her own pyjamas and so she wore her jumper to bed! The shared ice cream at the end of the book adds to the happy mood and assures the reader that this costume will be the perfect one for this little girl. We know she will feel that she does fit in with everyone else at their book week event. 

There's no such book was short listed for our CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) New Illustrator award 2023. 

Here is the judges' report: Wide eyes and expressive faces and bodies stand out creating distinct characters with a gentle connection between the mother and daughter depicted. An engaging cover and endpapers gracefully anticipate aspects of the story, while the setting is an appealing space, and the lighting gives the pages a soft glow. The colours vary on each page creating shifts in mood from the earthy reality of home to the vibrancy of the imaginative worlds; also, the use of broken white outlines lends a sgraffito element artistically, which lifts the colours. Minton has an assured illustrative style with an authentic and individual use of Procreate; he understands point-of-view, layout, colour and design.

I am not a fan of book week parades and dress up days. I worked with children who came from very poor circumstances with no family support for events like this and many could only come in play clothes or even their school uniform. On the other hand, though this book does give a lovely message about improvising a costume and there is no sense of a competition which is what it became at one of my school where wealthy parents hired costumes from a theatre company in Sydney and this is even more shocking because this was the school where some little children had no lunch, no breakfast and one parent in jail so of course they didn’t have fancy costumes to flaunt at a parade. But this is a book that I would be happy to share with a group of children in a school library - ideally in the weeks leading up to Book Week if the school is planning a dressing up event. 

And so it was Book Week Part Two

Huge congratulations and thank you to Joanne O'Mara (Associate Professor in Education, Deakin University) for her article in The Conversation about Book Week and dressing up and reading - YES reading!

Here are a few of her points that I really want to champion - especially the parts I have presented in bold print.

• In the scramble for costumes, which can add to the work of already stressed parents and carers, the point of Book Week – for kids to fall in love with reading – can get lost.
• In fact, a vast body of research evidence shows what’s crucial to building a love of reading is allowing children the time and freedom to read what interests them.
• Extensive research shows reading for pleasure improves young people’s overall reading skills, as well as test outcomes.
• Creating a culture of reading in school can help children fall in love with reading, where children read books they choose themselves for their own pleasure.
• Some schools provide a time and place for silent reading as part of the school day, but sadly this is not always the case.
• Providing time for sustained, self-selected reading is important, as many children do not read for pleasure outside school time.
• Finding a book they love, with help from another child, a teacher, or librarian, can help a child to develop the habit of reading. (I would add Teacher-Librarian to this list)

In my first post about Book Week 2023 I talked about an opinion piece in our Sydney Morning Herald. Then this lates one appeared in my social media feed.  I have been talking about the issues raised by Joanne O'Mara on this blog since I first started in 2008. Here is a recent post I wrote in response to an item in our Sydney Morning Herald earlier this year. And here is one from 2022. 

TIME (Joanne O'Mara uses this word five times)

CHOICE (if you have a school library filled with books readers will have so much choice)

A READING CULTURE (and a school library with a Teacher-Librarian)

SUSTAINED SILENT READING TO DEVELOP READING STAMINA

ACCESS TO BOOKS AND MORE BOOKS AND ADULTS WHO READ THEM TOO

Read more about Donalyn Miller here. Read more about raising a reader here. 

Joanne O'Mara concludes: So this Book Week, don’t stress about the costume, and don’t worry about what the other mums or dads are sewing or buying.  Just let your kid read what they want and enjoy it together.

And so this is Book Week

 

"A good children's book is like a poem; its meaning won't reveal itself immediately. You can return to it throughout your life, and it will always whisper new messages." Cherie Gilmour Sydney Morning Herald 23rd August, 2023

The Sydney Morning Herald yesterday had an opinion piece about Book Week and dressing for parades. The piece covered a range of topics from books and quality literature to reading but as is always the case with pieces like this the author tried to cover too many issues including television franchise books such as Bluey, Disney characters and all the dress up merchandise available everywhere. The author, Cherie Gilmour, did make some good points which are worth deeper thought and I will quote them here but in her world every school has a Teacher-Librarian and here in Australia, in NSW and in Sydney this is not always true or if there is a Teacher-Librarian he or she may not be trained or the library staffing might be so reduced that children cannot visit the school library each week so I have also quoted an important letter sent to the Sydney Morning Herald today. 

Here are some quotes from "An Elsa outfit for Book Week? It's time to let it go".

"The commercialisation of stories across mediums leads to a vicious cycle of never-ending reuse. TV shows become books and multi-installment movie franchises. ... video games, books, cartoon series, ... toys, T-shirts and costumes."

"In the same way that we have a varied diet in what we eat, we should encourage our children to consume a wide range of literature ..."

"a beautifully crafted story that's been purpose made to be read has the power to inspire kids to fall in love with language and the joys of the imagination."

Cherie Gilmour concludes - If your child wants to wear the Disney outfit such as Elsa for the Book Week parade that might be okay but make sure you flood (my word) their world with the best books so they can really go on a reading adventure in Book Week and beyond. 

Perhaps next year your child might have a different idea for their dressing up or better yet (my opinion) the school might think of a much better way to celebrate books and reading and libraries and the CBCA winners - meaningful ways that link back to books not competitions and costumes.

Take a look at this letter from advocate and retired Teacher-Librarian Sharon McGuinness:

Lagging libraries

Another Book Week again sees my social media feed awash with dress-ups and I lament the lost opportunities that children have missed in truly experiencing the real Book Week (“An Elsa outfit for Book Week? It’s time to let it go”, August 23). Is there a correlation between this reliance on the dress-up as the main celebration of Book Week in schools and the decreasing numbers of professional teacher librarians and resourcing of school libraries? In the past, I’ll bet your kids could tell you the titles of many of the books shortlisted for a Book Week award. How familiar are they with this year’s list? 

Cherie Gilmour states we should be encouraging kids to engage with quality children’s literature but that main point of contact, the teacher/librarian, is often missing in their lives. No weekly visits to the school library where the resources have been selected especially for them, no engaging library-focused activities. The need to maintain this profession in all schools is paramount to introduce, engage and foster lifelong reading. Book Week can provide kids with rich experiences of engaging with the best of Australian children’s writing and illustrating. It should be jam-packed with author and illustrator visits and fun, engaging, stimulating activities. Sadly, the annual dress-up parade reflects none of that. Sharon McGuinness, Thirroul

This is a Story by John Shu illustrated by Lauren Castillo

This is a word.

This is a word on a page.

This is a page in a book.

This is a book on a shelf

waiting.

This is a book.

This is a reader.

Here are more readers with minds full of questions ...

With a sea-horse kite in hand, a child heads out with Dad to the library. On the way they stop at a park, joining lots of people, some of whom are flying kites, too. At the library, a person toting a big pile of books hands over a story on a favorite subject: the sea horse. All around, there are readers poring over books, each with their own questions, ideas to explore, hopes for the future, and imaginations ready to spark.

Here is the book from the shelf:

There are heaps of books in This is a Story - they are all listed on the last page. I spied Hello Lighthouse; The Wild Robot; Windows; Flora and Ulysses; and The One and Only Ivan. There are so many others. 

It's Book Week here in Australia and so this seems like a perfect book to share with a group of students (after you explore or celebrate or cheer for the CBCA 2023 winners). It is also perfect for talking about the 2023 slogan - Read Grow Inspire. Coincidentally the poster for 2023 by Matt Ottley features a seahorse!

John Shu has written a beautiful dedication for his book:

"This is a story for Amy Krouse Rosenthal, Molly O'Neill, Kate DiCamillo, Lauren Castillo and you."

John Schumacher, better known as Mr. Schu, travelled the world to share his love of books as the Ambassador of School Libraries for Scholastic Book Fairs. In this video John talks about his book which started out as a poem. Colby Sharp talks about this book here. Take a look at other books illustrated by Lauren Castillo. 

Book Week 2022 Dreaming with Eyes Open

Book Week is coming - August 20th-26th. 

The poster and merchandise this year is designed by Jasmine Seymour. Her book Baby Business won the 2020 CBCA New Illustrator award. 

You might like to read my previous posts where I share my personal thoughts about book parades and alternate ways to celebrate:

Book Week 2013

Book Week 2015

Book Week 2016 

Book Week 2018

Book Week 2020

Book Week 2021

I went hunting for some books about dreams and found these from previous blog posts:

When the World is Dreaming

Dreams for our Daughters

Dandelion's Dream

Fanny's Dream

Ballerina Dreams

Someday

The other books you want to add to your display would be this splendid series:

I recently completed a post with some companion books to read alongside the shortlisted Picture Books. My friend from Kinderbookswitheverything and I have also added images to a Pinterest collection which might be another way to explore the 2022 slogan with your classes. 

I no longer work in a school library but a friend asked me to create some Book Week challenges as these were greatly enjoyed by her own children when they were in Primary school. Here are a few ideas which you are welcome to use, change, adapt etc. 

My rules are simple but of course you can set your own:

• the challenge must be completed during the school day 
• the deadline for entries bell time each day
• label your work with your name and class
• up to ten winners will be announced each morning and they will each received a small prize bag and certificates for highly commended and commended entries

Thinking challenges

Design and make

A way has been found to share dreams through glasses. You need to design these special glasses, make them extra big and in their large lenses show your favourite dream or daydream.

Creative writing

Your teacher tells you stories must not end with the words “It was all a dream” but you disagree. Write a short (100 word) story that ends with those words and make it such a brilliant story that your teacher will be persuaded to change his or her mind.

Research

The CBCA posters and materials for the Book Week slogan features original artwork by Jasmine Seymour. She has filled her posters with lots of different Australian birds. Your task is to find an unusual Australian bird and draw a picture on a post card. On the other side of the card, you will write a very short greeting to a friend living in another country explaining our Australian Book Week celebration. You should also mention your favourite book from the short list this year.

Puzzle me a puzzle

Using the words of the 2022 CBCA slogan “Dreaming with eyes open” as a starting point design a puzzle such as a find-a-word; a set of cryptic clues; a crossword; or a dot-to-dot.

Make a poster

A local mattress and bed shop would like to promote their business with a new slogan. Use the words of the 2022 CBCA slogan or words that relate to the slogan to design a poster for the shop.

Debate topic

The 2022 slogan is missing a word or two – it should say Dreaming with my eyes open; Dreaming with your eyes open; Dreaming while reading with my eyes open. Pick one of these and write your opening remarks for the debate. (Limit 100 words)

Art

Do you enjoy day dreaming? Draw your self portrait day dreaming with a book you love.

Art

Draw a map showing the land of your dreams

Design and Make

Design an invitation and planning sheet for a pyjama party to celebrate book week. Think about where the party will be held; who to invite; what the children need to bring and wear; and add in other plans such as games to play and food to share all linked to the theme Dreaming with eyes open.

Music

Use one of these lyrics to compose a song. These quotes are from Gathering Dreams and on this site you can find an acknowledgement for each quote:

“Hope lies in dreams, in imagination, and in the courage of those who dare to make dreams into reality.”

“Nothing happens unless first we dream.”

“Follow your dreams, they know the way.”

“Dream it, then make it happen.”

“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.”

“The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams.”

Design and Make

It has been discovered that the dreams of children contain important information about saving our planet. Design and make a small portable machine that can be attached to the heads or hearts of young children to capture their dreams.