From Ruby Red Shoes to Angelina Ballerina: Favourite Book Week Memories
Every family has traditions that become treasured memories.
For our family, Book Week is one of them.
Each year brought the excitement of choosing a favourite book, putting together a costume and watching our daughter become a character she absolutely adored.
Looking back, it isn't the costume I remember most. It's the excitement on her face as she headed off to school, eager to share a story she loved with her classmates.
Like every first day of school, Christmas morning and other special family occasions, Book Week always began with a photo at our bright red front door. Over the years it quietly became part of our family tradition. Looking back through old photographs now, that red door tells the story of our children growing up, one special memory at a time.
One year she chose Ruby Red Shoes Goes to Paris.
There was no need to spend a fortune. She wore a party dress she already owned, slipped on a bright pair of red shoes and carried a simple wooden rabbit face mask. It was easy to put together, but it captured Ruby's gentle charm perfectly.
The following year she decided to become Angelina Ballerina.
Creating her costume was just as simple. A ballet tutu became the centrepiece, along with a pair of mouse ears, a little tail I made by stuffing an old stocking, and just enough face paint to create a tiny black nose and delicate whiskers. She twirled around the house before school, completely convinced she was Angelina, and for one magical day, she truly was.
Those costumes didn't cost much.
Yet they created memories our family will treasure forever.
You Don't Need to Spend a Fortune
One of the things I love most about Book Week is that imagination matters far more than money.
Every year we see incredible costumes online. Some are handmade masterpieces, while others have clearly taken weeks to create. They are wonderful to admire, but they can also make parents feel as though they need to spend a lot to make Book Week special.
Our experience was quite the opposite.
Angelina Ballerina was simply a tutu, mouse ears, a homemade tail and a little face paint.
Ruby Red Shoes was a party dress, a pair of bright red shoes and a wooden rabbit mask.
That's all it took.
Children don't remember how much was spent on their costume.
They remember becoming their favourite character.
Sometimes the simplest costumes create the happiest memories.
Stories That Never Grow Old
One of the greatest joys of Book Week is rediscovering the books that children continue to fall in love with generation after generation.
Whether they are timeless classics or modern favourites, these stories spark imagination, encourage kindness and inspire children to see the world a little differently.
Some of our favourite mouse and rabbit stories include:
- Angelina Ballerina by Katharine Holabird
- Claris: The Chicest Mouse in Paris by Megan Hess
- Brambly Hedge by Jill Barklem
- The Tale of Two Bad Mice by Beatrix Potter
- The Country Mouse and the Town Mouse
- Frederick by Leo Lionni
- The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
- The Tale of Benjamin Bunny by Beatrix Potter
- Ruby Red Shoes by Kate Knapp
- I Am a Bunny by Ole Risom
- Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney
Each one reminds us that the biggest adventures often belong to the smallest characters.
Keeping the Story Alive
One of the wonderful things about Book Week is that it doesn't end when the school parade is over.
Favourite books are read again before bed.
Costumes are worn around the house for "just one more adventure."
Children invent new stories and continue playing long after the final page has been turned.
Perhaps that's why stories featuring little mice and rabbits continue to capture our hearts. They encourage imagination, creativity and kindness in a way that never seems to grow old.
It's one of the reasons we love Maileg at Mouse House Collective. Every little mouse and rabbit invites children to continue telling stories, creating adventures and building worlds of their own.
Bring the Story Home
If your family has fallen in love with storybook mice and rabbits, why let the adventure end with Book Week?
Our Maileg collections encourage children to keep creating stories long after the costume has been packed away. Whether they're hosting a ballet recital, exploring a woodland cottage or setting off on an adventure of their own, every little character is ready for the next chapter.
Continue the adventure:
Explore Our Maileg Mice
Explore Our Maileg Rabbits & Bunnies
More Than a Costume
When I think back to those Book Week mornings, I don't remember whether the tutu was the perfect shade of pink or whether the mouse ears matched perfectly.
I remember a little girl excited to become Angelina Ballerina.
I remember another proudly wearing her bright red shoes and carrying a simple rabbit mask.
Those are the moments that stay with you.
Book Week isn't really about costumes.
It's about celebrating books, encouraging children to read and giving them the chance to step inside the stories they love.
Perhaps that's why Book Week remains one of my favourite childhood memories as a parent.
We'd Love to Hear Your Story
What was your child's favourite Book Week character?
Was it a curious little mouse, a brave rabbit or another much-loved storybook friend?
Share your favourite Book Week memories in the comments or tag @mousehousecollective.au on Instagram. We'd love to celebrate the stories that have become part of your family's tradition.
Continue Exploring Mouse House Journal
If you enjoy stories celebrating childhood, imagination and timeless books, explore more articles from the Mouse House Journal, where every story is inspired by warmth, wonder and the simple magic of growing up.
