Coram Beanstalk and Very.co.uk ask children to cheer up their neighbours on World Book Day

Rather than asking children to dress up as their favourite characters on Thursday 4^th March as they might have done at school or nursery, Coram Beanstalk and Very want them to get creative and dress the windows of their homes instead. 

As part of a competition to celebrate World Book Day, children are invited to draw pictures of their favourite book characters and enter them into a competition via social media, with the lucky winners set to receive some amazing prizes donated by Crayola.  

But why stop there? To spread the joy of reading and bring some happiness to their neighbourhoods, the organisers are urging children and their families to decorate their windows with their new artwork too.   

The winning entries will be chosen by author and illustrator Rob Biddulph. His online ‘Draw With Rob’ films have become a viral phenomenon during lockdown and afforded him a ‘Points of Light’ award, a prize which recognises Rob as one of the UK’s outstanding volunteers. 

How to enter the Very competition 

1. From now until World Book Day itself (Thursday 4 March 2021), children are invited to get creative and draw a picture of their favourite book character using any arts and crafts materials they choose. 
2. With parental permission and assistance, they should then post a photo of their picture on social media via Twitter, Instagram or Facebook, with the hashtag #VeryWBD before midnight on Thursday 4^th March 2021 to enter. 
3. We’d love to see your entries, so don’t forget to tag us @beanstalkreads in your posts so we can reshare them with our followers. 
4. We’d then encourage families to display their book character picture in their windows for all of their neighbours to see! 
5. Whilst entry to the competition is completely free, should anyone wish to make a small donation to the work of Coram Beanstalk, they can do so by texting WBDBEANSTALK plus the amount of the donation to 70085. Texts cost the donation amount plus one standard rate message. 

Entries will be judged by a panel including colleagues from Very and Coram Beanstalk, with the top winner being chosen by author and illustrator Rob Biddulph.  

Hundreds of pounds worth of arts and crafts goodies have been kindly donated by Crayola for the winners, while Rob Biddulph and publisher Harper Collins are providing copies of the #DrawWithRob activity books to each of the winners. 

Ginny Lunn, Managing Director of Coram Beanstalk and Divisional Director of Education at Coram, said: “We know home schooling is pressured and that escaping into the joy of reading has never been more important. 

“This year we are asking children and young people to draw or make their favourite book character using arts and crafts materials for our World Book Day competition. We’d love them to post their entries on social media with our special hashtag so we can judge them and make up a fabulous gallery of their work. But we think putting them on display in their windows would give neighbours and passers by a real lift, and help cheer up our streets.” 

Rob Biddulph, author and illustrator of a number of children’s picturebooks, including Odd Dog Out, said: “Any opportunity to promote reading for pleasure amongst children is one that I’m only too happy to take. It’s our goal at World Book Day UK and it’s also the driving force behind the amazing work that my friends at Coram Beanstalk do so brilliantly. They are absolute heroes and I’m delighted to be helping them with this fabulous competition.” 

Ben Fletcher, CFO at The Very Group, commented “While this year’s World Book Day won’t be quite the same as usual, we still want to bring the magic of reading to life for children everywhere. That’s why we’ve worked with our charity partner, Coram Beanstalk, to create this amazing #VeryWBD competition. We can’t wait to see the children’s artwork of the characters from the books that matter most to them, and I’m sure everyone’s neighbours will love seeing them too.” 

Terms and Conditions: 

1. Entry into the prize draw will be deemed as acceptance of these rules and any separate instructions for entry will form part of the rules.  
2. Entry into the prize draw is open to children and adults of all ages but  entrants under the age of 18 must first obtain guidance and support from, and the consent of, their parent or guardian prior to posting their entry on social media. 
3. To enter, entrants must post a picture of their favourite book character, which they have drawn, painted or created using arts & crafts materials, together with the hashtag #VeryWBD on either Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn anytime before midnight 4^th March 2021. 
4. Employees of The Very Group companies and anyone else involved in the administration of the draw are excluded from entering. 
5. Winners have seven days to claim their prize. If they don’t respond in that time a new winner will be selected. 
6. There is one main prize consisting of £300 worth of Crayola arts and crafts products. There are also seven secondary prizes, each consisting of £100 worth of Crayola products. The Promoter reserves the right to offer an alternative prize in the unlikely event the original prize is unavailable.  Prizes are non-negotiable, non-transferable and there is no cash alternative. 
7. The eight winners will be selected at random from all valid entries on or around 8^th March 2021.  
8. Prize winners will be contacted The Very Group on or around 8^th March 2021 via a reply to their prize draw entry post. Winners will be required to provide a contact name and delivery address for their prize to be sent out.  
9. Winners will receive their prize directly from Crayola within 6 weeks of the draw. 
10. By entering the draw, entrants agree that if they win, their details (name and location) may be disclosed to anyone requesting details of the prize winners.
11. Details of the winners will be available after 22^nd March 2021 by sending a stamped address envelope to World Book Day 2021 Prize Draw – Skyways House, Speke Road ,Speke, Liverpool, L70 1AB
12. Promoter: Shop Direct Home Shopping Limited, First Floor, Skyways House, Speke Road, Speke, Liverpool, L70 1AB. Registered No 4663281.