Children in Hackney and Islington celebrated World Book Day a little differently this year, but many still dressed up as their favourite literary characters and heroes from home.

World Book Day 2021 was celebrated on March 4, just four days before pupils started a phased return to their classrooms.

This meant those dressing up for the occasion were likely showcasing their costumes to classmates via a computer screen.

Hackney Gazette: Year 1 student Zac Poon from Grafton Primary School in Islington dressed up as Wally from the book series Where's Wally? and joined his classmates online.Year 1 student Zac Poon from Grafton Primary School in Islington dressed up as Wally from the book series Where's Wally? and joined his classmates online. (Image: Poyan Chan)

The annual 24-year-old event is led by the charity Unesco and its aims are to nurture a love of reading from a young age, by getting children to dress up as beloved characters and providing £1 book tokens.

This year’s theme was “share a story” and saw children in Hackney and Islington dress up as Harry Potter, Little Red Riding Hood, Wally from the book series Where's Wally? as well as real-life hero Captain Sir Tom Moore, who passed away last month.

The war veteran's story about walking 100 laps of his garden to raise money for the NHS was turned into a children's book called One Hundred Steps: The Story of Captain Sir Tom Moore.

Hackney Gazette: Finlay Stoakley, 4, from Hackney, dressed up as Harry Potter.Finlay Stoakley, 4, from Hackney, dressed up as Harry Potter. (Image: Angela Stoakley)

Hackney Gazette: Hargrave Park Primary School pupil, Albert Godfrey, age 10, dressed up as Sir Captain Tom Moore.Hargrave Park Primary School pupil, Albert Godfrey, age 10, dressed up as Sir Captain Tom Moore. (Image: Samantha Hogsden)

Hackney Gazette: Skye Stagles, age four and from Hackney, dressed up as Little Red Riding Hood.Skye Stagles, age four and from Hackney, dressed up as Little Red Riding Hood. (Image: Mandy Jayne Stagles)

Hackney Gazette: The event, led by charity Unesco, aims to celebrate literature and encourage reading.The event, led by charity Unesco, aims to celebrate literature and encourage reading. (Image: Yannd Yckeb)