I love World Book Day. Especially this year – my kids are learning to read and it’s bloomin’ wonderful seeing their little minds soak up new words and stories and worlds. I love how excited they were choosing which book to take into school. And this morning I loved seeing their classmates skipping into school holding their favourite books.

(This is a sentimental take – I’m well aware there were several meltdowns and last minute panics before school. But today I allow myself sentimentality. A whole day for books! I love books!)

And I really do love that our school is wise enough to shun the extra labour and cost of fancy dress in favour of comfy clothes to read in. The kids actually focus on the books part of World Book Day, and the parents have one less headache.

So today my son chose a wonderful Tom Percival Big Bright Feelings book about World Book Day, because he can read it all on his own (he’s very proud of himself). And my daughter chose her favourite Cressida Cowell Book of Dragons because ‘it has DRAGONS and MAPS and DRAGONS, mummy’ (said with very big eyes).

And this year I decided to join in and chose my Dad’s latest poetry collection apostrophe combe Mk2. Here’s a rather beautiful haiku from it;

‘combe haiku

calm day sea shimmer:
one wet black pebble, hand-turned,
parcel-tied with quartz

By Sam Smith. Available to buy on Amazon, or direct from the writer himself.

Happy World Book Day to all who celebrate!