CHILDREN across Cumbria unleashed their imaginations as they celebrated all things literary last Thursday (March 1).

Many of the county's pupils marked World Book Day by dressing up as characters from the pages of their favourite reads.

At Over Kellet's Wilson's Endowed CE School, students were buzzing with excitement as they shared their top fictional picks with their peers.

"Reading is not only an essential life skill but also a wonderful source of inspiration," said head teacher, Jo Williams. "We are passionate that our children are able unlock the unlimited wonders that comes from reading. It might be learning new facts or simply being absorbed by a really good story. World Book Day is way of celebrating all that is amazing about books."

A wide variety of literature was celebrated, with Over Kellet pupils dressing as book characters from Tolkien novels to the more contemporary 'Gangsta Granny' by David Walliams.

Now in its 21st year, World Book Day is a celebration of authors, illustrators, books and reading. It is designated by UNESCO as a worldwide celebration of books and reading, and marked in more than 100 countries all over the world.

And students at Leck St Peters CE Primary School took part in a number of activities to mark the occasion.

Infants wrote a descriptive piece about the character that they came dressed as, juniors went on a book scavenger hunt as well as designing a new cover and some children got creative by making confectionary from The Gruffalo baking book.

"We feel that world book day gives the children the opportunity to be excited about what they are reading and to try different books that they wouldn’t have thought to read by being introduced to what their friends are reading," said executive head teacher Kerry Stafford-Roberts.

Pupils from Ulverston's Church Walk CE Primary School also took part in the annual celebration, with English co-ordinator Sam Carter saying that the school 'loved' World Book Day.

"It gives us a chance to celebrate the love of books and reading for pleasure, which continues to be a high priority at Church Walk Primary School," he said. "The majority of our children dressed up, and we saw a very wide range of costumes from The Evil Pea to Alice in Wonderland, and everything in between."