35 Easy Book Character Costumes Inspired by Your Favorite Stories
Get creative with these literary looks.
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Your favorite works of art can be the perfect inspiration for your Halloween costume. Plenty of people turn to movies and TV for Halloween costume ideas, but don’t overlook these book character costume ideas. Whether you’re a teacher looking to inspire your students with a literary-inspired Halloween getup or a parent looking for an adorable costume idea for your toddler, there’s sure to be an idea here you love.
These costume ideas take inspiration from everything from classic picture books to contemporary favorites. Several of these are DIY Halloween costumes if you’re feeling crafty, but plenty can be ordered online if you want to keep things simple. It’s also easy to turn these bookish costumes into couples costumes if you and your partner share a love of reading. Think Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice, Daisy and Gatsby from The Great Gatsby, or Katniss and Peeta from The Hunger Games. Many of these costumes can also be expanded to be costumes for groups of three or four. For instance, you could dress The Cat in the Hat, Thing One, and Thing Two; or perhaps Dorothy, the Tin Man, the Lion, and the Scarecrow.
Ahead, check out the best book character costume ideas to bring your favorite stories to life this Halloween.
Become part of Eric Carle’s beloved storybook with this adorable caterpillar costume. It’s a cute idea on both kids and adults—and the best part is it’s great to snack in!
Chicka chicka boom boom, will there be enough room? Dress in brown and stick these leaves and adhesive letters to yourself to become the famous coconut tree from the children’s book.
Tell Halloween troublemakers they shall not pass in this classic Gandalf the Grey costume, perfect to add a little magic to your party or to create a group costume with all the members of the Fellowship of the Ring.
Save the day with this crime-fighting costume straight from the comics. Bonus: Because this costume is also a sweatshirt, kids can rewear it after Halloween ends to stay comfy and cozy at home.
A blue t-shirt is all you need for this hilarious Horton costume. Whether you’re a fan of the original children’s book or the movie adaptation, this costume is the perfect way to celebrate Horton’s big heart.
Quoth the raven, nevermore! Yes, "The Raven" is technically a poem, but you'll find it in books of Poe's collected works. Dress as the personification of Poe's famous poem with feathers, a cape, and a fake raven to sit on your shoulder.
Celebrate being both creepy and cute with this iconic Halloween character, perfect for all ages. Don’t forget a pair of glasses with button eyes to really finish the look.
Kids and adults alike will get a big laugh out of this hilarious Lorax costume. Beyond the funny look of the costume, The Lorax carries a great message about environmental conservation—and has a fun movie to watch, too.
This silly tongue twister book is hard to read, but an easy costume. Just don’t forget to practice saying “fox in socks on box on Knox” five times fast if you’re planning to read it aloud—and the tongue twisters only get harder from there!
No matter how much the pigeon begs, don’t let him drive the bus! Use these accessories with some matching blue clothes to make an adorable pigeon costume from the Mo Willems books, or follow a DIY pattern to make a mask out of a paper plate.
This costume transforms your toddler into the Cat in the Hat—or, as the song says: “He's a cat in a hat, he's a chat in a chapeau. He also is a gato in a sombrero!”
We can easily help you find the perfect Goldilocks costume (and even a few onesies for the three bears should they tag along) but we have to caution against eating porridge (or in this case candy) without permission.
At least this time when you (or your little one) dress up in a ball gown, you won't have to worry about having it turn into rags at the stroke of midnight.
Take it back to the roaring '20s with a nod to an era of glitz and glamor, most famously referred to in F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic. Time to channel your inner flapper girl. The only thing you need? A male partner to play opposite to your Daisy Buchanan.
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
"If you give a mouse a cookie, he's going to ask for a glass of milk." And if you give a kid a piece of Halloween candy, he'll definitely be asking you for more! A pair of overalls and some mouse ears easily create this unique book character.
You don't have to like green eggs and ham to rock this Dr. Seuss getup.
Follow the yellow brick road (and by that, we mean the trick-or-treating route), and you're sure to find some sweet treats along the way. Ruby red slippers would be nice, but we'll settle for a few candy bars.
Sherlock
It doesn't take the deductive reasoning of Sherlock Holmes to understand why his character makes for a great Halloween costume. If you already own a houndstooth coat, all you need is a few detective-appropriate items from Amazon to complete the look.
If you loved learning about science from the Magic School Bus books, get into character as Miss Frizzle. It's a perfect teacher's costume to prove that science is fun!
The White Rabbit
Head down Alice's rabbit hole — just make sure you're not late for any important dates! This costume is easy to put together with a few strategic Amazon purchases.
Lauren (she/her) is the executive digital content director of the Hearst Lifestyle Group, where she oversees online content and strategy for Good Housekeeping, Woman's Day and other Hearst titles, including SEO, video, social media and e-commerce efforts. She has almost 20 years of experience writing and editing beauty, lifestyle, home, health, entertainment and product review content. She graduated from NYU with a degree in journalism and history.
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