Mike O’Connell, COO of Rubies UK: “We actively encourage dress-up as it helps association with literature and breaks down walls by making reading accessible for pure enjoyment, which in turn can open doors of opportunity to all children later in life. We endeavour to spread this love of reading through our costumes, which allow children to become part of the stories they love.” Everyone’s favourite grouchy old man made a surprise appearance last year in the hilarious Natboff!: One Million Years of Stupidity. Everything you need to know about The Book Of Dust: La Belle Sauvage and The Secret Commonwealth by Philip Pullman

Amelia Fang is the coolest little vampire out there. She lives in the spooky land of Nocturnia, which means that for her, it’s Halloween every day. Rubies is readying for World Book Day on 3rd March with a host of campaigns, beginning with marketing for its officially licensed Amelia Fang costume.Just in time for Halloween, there's a brand new heroine for you to meet - say hello to Amelia Fang! Amelia is sure to be the star of the show for this year’s celebrations, but there’s also a whole colourful cast of other characters from the series who would also make for fantastic dress-up. Along with her friends Florence the yeti and Grimaldi the reaper, Amelia is about to make some surprising discoveries in the world of Nocturnia... This year’s World Book Day is on 7 March and if you’re feeling stumped for costume ideas, look no further! We’ve put together a few suggestions inspired by some of our favourite Farshore characters. Fran Hales, head of content and marketing at Rubies UK, said: “We are delighted to have both Laura Ellen Anderson on board for our ambitious plans to promote Amelia Fang on World Book Day. We are so happy to be able to not only provide the costumes for so many aspiring readers (and vampires) but also to be able to bring the magic of Laura’s illustrations to life.”

We’ve put together inspiration from some of our favourite Farshore books of 2018. Dressing up as any of these characters will make your children’s Halloween celebrations that extra bit special. Cruella de Vil

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Welcome to the world of Nocturnia, where darkness reigns supreme, glitter is terrifying, and unicorns are the stuff of nightmares! Amelia Fang would much rather hang out with her pet pumpkin Squashy and her friends Florence the yeti (DON’T CALL HER BEAST!) and Grimaldi the reaper than dance at her parents’ annual Barbaric Ball.

The Amelia Fang book series, published by Farshore/HarperCollins UK, has sold over 380,000 copies in the UK, and been translated into 24 languages worldwide. The books follow a little vampire with a big heart through her adventures in the city of Nocturnia. Popular among 7-9-year-olds, the seven book series invites readers to enter an imaginative, gothic world brought to life with creative illustrations. She's currently starring in Laura's book Amelia Fang and the Barbaric Ball,which follows her race to save her pet pumpkin Squashy from the King's spoiled son Tangine. Tracey Devine-Tyley, head of Licensing & Portfolio EMEA, explains: “We understand how important reading is to children; it helps develop their minds and imaginations and we strive to support this through the licences we hold that celebrate reading. Amelia Fang is a fantastic licence for us to acquire. It’s a beloved book series with a strong and growing group of fans consisting of children and parents alike.” This bonkers character is perfect dress-up – you just need a big orange beard and you’re halfway there! Add a top hat (a crooked one gets extra points) and a long dark coat and Mr Gum will be scaring squirrels left, right and centre this Halloween. Laura Ellen Anderson, creator of Amelia Fang, added: “I’m so excited to see Rubies bring the Amelia Fang costume to life. It’s wonderful to know that my fans and readers will be able to easily access this costume which can be worn for events such as World Book Day and Halloween, or just for fun.”

There’s not one but two trendy animals that everyone wants to dress-up as this year. The hardest part is knowing which to choose: unicorns or llamas? Everyone’s favourite grouchy old man made a surprise appearance this year in the hilarious Natboff!: One Million Years of Stupidity. The new collection will bring to life the quirky gothic children’s book character created by talented author and illustrator Laura Ellen Anderson. The dual strategy marketing campaign will combine content on both Rubies UK and author Laura Ellen Anderson’s social channels, so the costumes can be seen by a wider audience. The Amelia Fang costume is the newest licence in Rubies’ portfolio and is projected to be one of the most successful ones of the year. The Amelia Fang book series, (published by Farshore/HarperCollins UK) has sold over 380,000 copies in the UK, and has been translated into 24 languages worldwide. It follows a little vampire with a big heart through adventures in the city of Nocturnia.