World Book Day reveals 2026 £1/€1.50 books to encourage more children than ever to Read for Fun!
- Sixteen new £1/€1.50 books announced for World Book Day® 2026
- Authors Rose Ayling-Ellis, Hannah Gold, and Jamie Smart are amongst those joining the World Book Day 2026 line-up
- Much-loved family favourites Peppa Pig, Unicorn Academy, and a new story inspired by one of Roald Dahl’s most beloved tales will also be available for free, in exchange for a £1/€1.50 book token
- In 2025, over 23.5 million book tokens were distributed by World Book Day through schools, magazines and partnerships
16th September 2025: This year, World Book Day®, the reading for fun charity, will be celebrated on Thursday 5th March 2026. Today, the charity reveals the 15 £1/€1.50 books that children will be able to choose for free, in exchange for their £1/€1.50token.
Children were involved in selecting the titles, putting World Book Day’s commitment to children’s choice at the core of its work. The exciting 2026 range of £1/€1.50 books appeal to a whole range of readers, from beginners to teens, to ensure the celebration is accessible to all. With just one in three children and young people saying they enjoy reading in their free time – a 36% decrease in reading enjoyment since 2005[1] – helping find the joy in reading is more important than ever.
The opportunity for all children to have a book of their own is at the heart of World Book Day’s mission. Currently, almost 1 million children in the UK don’t own a book, which rises to one in 8 for children eligible for Free School Meals. A quarter of children receiving Free School Meals said that the book they ‘bought’ with their World Book Day token was the first book of their own.[2]
This year’s £1/€1.50 line-up offers a fantastic selection for children to choose from. Beginning readers can enjoy the heartwarming adventure of Peppa Pig in One Big Family,
or delve into The Big Bang by Rose Ayling-Ellis, a captivating tale of friendship and inclusion. Early readers have the chance to explore the quirky world of Funny FACTopia! by Christopher Lloyd or embark on a time-travelling quest with Pablo and Splash: The Castle Quest by Sheena Dempsey. They can even join Pia and her friends in a fun fast-paced mystery of Pia’s Pet Club: Iguana Escape by Serena Patel, or step into a magical world of friendship and secrets with Unicorn Academy: My Secret Unicorn Diary.
For the more fluent and independent readers, there are thrilling adventures with Bear Rescue by Hannah Gold, and extraordinary football stories by Matt Oldfield. Readers can take flight in Skandar and the Secret Element by bestselling author A.F. Steadman, a gripping tale of magic, wild unicorns, and unlikely heroes. Comic enthusiasts can revel in the hilarious escapades of Bunny vs Monkey: Total Chaos! by Jamie Smart. Independent readers will find inspiration in Against All Odds by Nathanael Lessore, a story of discovering one’s unique voice amidst challenges, and be able to return to Wonka’s famous chocolate factory in Chaos at the Chocolate Factory by Sibeal Pounder, inspired by Roald Dahl.
Supported by long-term sponsor, National Book Tokens, and working alongside publishers and booksellers, this year World Book Day will continue to build on its work to improve access to books, encouraging everyone to give children the choice and chance to develop that lifelong habit of reading for fun.
Fiona Hickley, Interim CEO of World Book Day comments:
“World Book Day exists to help children find their own joy in reading. When children have the freedom to explore books and all forms of reading in a way that suits them, that’s when they gain the well-documented wellbeing, educational and life-chance advantages of reading for fun.
Our research shows children avoid reading when pressured, so at World Book Day we seek to appeal to children with our wonderful selection of £1/€1.50 books that are meticulously chosen to offer exciting options across popular interests and reading levels. Our aim is to ensure every child can discover their own kind of fun in the books.”
World Book Day’s 2026 £1 /€1.50 books are as follows:
BEGINNING
- Peppa Pig: One Big Family published by Ladybird, Penguin Random House UK
Meet Peppa Pig! She lives with Mummy Pig, Daddy Pig, her little brother, George, and her baby sister, Evie. Today, they are going to a Family Fun Day at the park. There’s going to be a giant picnic and team games! When Peppa’s best friend, Suzy Sheep, is sad that her team is smaller than everyone else’s, what will Peppa do to help? Join Peppa and her friends for a fun-filled family day.
© 2026 ABD Ltd/Hasbro/HCPL Ltd.
- The Big Bang by Rose Ayling-Ellis, written in collaboration with Katie Blackburn and illustrated by Paddy Donnelly
Uh oh! Where did Casper go?
When a noisy storm scares Halo and Rocky, Casper remains calm. But when lightning flashes, Casper dashes off and the other kittens realise he is deaf! Can Halo and Rocky be brave, find Casper, and learn a new way to communicate with their friend?
EARLY
- Funny FACTopia! – Follow the Trail of 100 Wacky Facts written by Christopher Lloyd and Kate Olesin, illustrated by Andy Smith and published by What on Earth!
Welcome to Funny FACTopia!, a world of hilarious, weird and astonishing facts. Every fact is connected to the next in an ingenious trail of information. Hop from topic to topic in unexpected and amusing ways, and discover facts about crocodiles, candyfloss, kings and queens, dinosaurs, donuts, planets, teeth, tongues, medicine, Middle Ages and more. And there isn’t just one trail through these pages: sometimes your path branches and you can choose to jump to a totally different (but still connected) part of the book. Where will your curiosity take you?
- Pablo and Splash: The Castle Quest written and illustrated by Sheena Dempsey, published by Bloomsbury
Time-travelling penguins Pablo and Splash are on a quest! Splash has heard there was an unlimited supply of delicious fishy snacks in medieval England. She heads straight to the time-machine, pulling best pal Pablo along by the flipper.
They soon meet some sheep, a pig and a very angry farmer – but no sign of tasty treats at all. Will they have better luck inside the castle? Or is it time to say ‘good knight’?
- Pia’s Pet Club: Iguana Escape by Serena Patel, illustrated by Emma McCann and published by Usborne
I’m Pia, and I LOVE pets so much that I’ve set up a club with my friends!
Today we’re all SO excited about seeing the Amazing Animal Roadshow, and especially its star, Iggy the Iguana. But somehow Iggy has disappeared! This is Pet Club’s BIG moment. It’s time to work together, think fast and use all our pet knowledge to find him – otherwise the show will be ruined!
But Iggy is nowhere to be seen. Can an iguana really just vanish…?
Pia and her best friend Hari are thrilled to spend the day with the Pet Club gang at the community fair, raising money and having lots of fun. But chaos strikes when the star of the Amazing Animal Roadshow, Iggy the Iguana, vanishes!
With the clock ticking and clues leading them on a wild chase through the bustling fair, Pia and her friends must work together and think fast. Can they track down the mischievous Iggy in time to save the day – or will Iggy’s great escape steal the spotlight?
- Unicorn Academy: My Secret Unicorn Diary published by Nosy Crow
Peek inside Sophia and Wildstar’s magical world and find out what Sophia really thinks of their first year together at Unicorn Academy in this exclusive mini diary! Filled with sparkling unicorns, epic adventures and mysterious secrets . . . Are you ready for something magical?
© 2026 Spin Master Ltd. UNICORN ACADEMY and all related titles, logos and characters, and SPIN MASTER logos are trademarks of Spin Master Ltd., used under license. All rights reserved.
FLUENT
- Bear Rescue by Hannah Gold, illustrated by Levi Pinfold, published by HarperCollins Children’s Books
August Wood lives in the far north of the Arctic. His best friend is a husky called Blaze, and he’s the younger brother of April Wood – the girl who once famously rescued a polar bear.
But one summer’s day, when a sudden snowstorm strikes, August goes missing. With temperatures plummeting, it’s up to April, Bear and Blaze to track him down and bring him safely home . . . before it’s too late.
- Unbelievable Football: The Most Amazing World Cup Stories You Never Knew written by Matt Oldfield, illustrated by Ollie Mann and published by Hachette Children’s Group
Think you know everything about football?
Get ready for kick-off and discover incredible stories, facts and stats about some of the most unbelievable World Cup football moments of all time.
From the incredible teams to the most amazing goalscorers, unbeatable matches, last-minute saves, penalty dramas and even the amazing animals that have been involved, too.
Packed full of true footballing stories and amazing action that will keep football-mad readers going from the first minute to the final whistle.
*This book has not been authorised, licensed or endorsed by Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) or any associated company.
- Bunny vs Monkey: Total Chaos! Written and illustrated by Jamie Smart and published by The Phoenix Comic Books (an imprint of David Fickling Books)
Discover Jamie Smart’s multi-million-selling and award-winning comic book sensation!
Packed full of comic strip hilarity, this book is your window into the fabulous world of Bunny vs Monkey – where the mayhem has begun!
Monkey’s mischievous schemes to take over The Woods are afoot, and only Bunny can stop him!
To do just that, he’ll need to find his thermal underwear, fire up the Flan Cannon, and watch out for hairy jam (ew!)…
In Bunny vs Monkey only one thing is guaranteed… Lots and lots of laughter!
- Skandar and the Secret Element written by A.F. Steadman and published by Simon & Schuster
TAKE FLIGHT ON THE ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME
Albert never thought he would become a unicorn rider. But then he is whisked away to a mysterious Island to bond with a warrior unicorn, and to train in elemental magic. There, Albert meets a boy called Skandar, who is hiding a dangerous secret.
When an encounter with a terrifying wild unicorn throws Albert and Skandar together, will the adventure help them become the heroes they are destined to be?
Get ready for unlikely heroes, elemental battles, dangerous secrets and bloodthirsty unicorns.
This gripping story is perfect for newcomers to the Skandar series as well as superfans, and comes with bonus content and activities.
- Chaos at the Chocolate Factory written by Sibéal Pounder and illustrated by Emily Jones
An exclusive new World Book Day story, inspired by Roald Dahl’s Charlie and The Chocolate Factory from bestselling author Sibéal Pounder, and illustrated by Emily Jones.
Charlie Bucket is having a magical time learning to run Mr Willy Wonka’s famous chocolate factory. There are so many delicious new creations to be invented! And as long as there is a Wonkachocolate factory, there will be a Willy Wonka pinging about like an excited squirrel inside it – along with his brilliant Oompa-Loompas, who know just how to keep everything running smoothly.
But everyone needs a holiday, even Oompa-Loompas. And that’s where this story begins . . .
When Mr Wonka and the Oompa-Loompas decide it’s time to go on an adventure to look for marvellous new recipe ingredients, Charlie is left to run the factory by himself for the first time. And it’s fair to say things don’t quite go to plan . . .
Can Charlie use his imagination to save the chocolate factory from disaster – or will all the chaos mean closing the factory gates forever?
INDEPENDENT
- Against All Odds written by Nathanael Lessore, published by Hot Key Books
Noranto knows who he is. Or at least, he thinks he does.
Footballer. Hustler. One of the boys. He’s got the playground game on lock and big plans for his mum’s surprise birthday party this weekend. But poetry? That’s just something he does quietly – in his head, on the bus, between goals.
Until his teacher spots his talent and encourages him to enter a creative writing competition. Noranto laughs it off. No chance: the deadline’s in three days and he’s already got way too much going on. His mates agree and tell him to stick to what he knows. Poetry doesn’t win matches.
But the rhymes won’t stop coming. And a little voice inside him keeps asking: What if this is his shot? What if he could do it all?
As the weekend unfolds and obstacles are thrown in his way, Noranto finds himself stuck between what’s expected of him and who he really wants to be. Can he find the words in time – and the courage to share them – against all the odds?
A funny and authentic story about the joys and challenges of dreaming big and showing the world you don’t have to fit into just one box.
IRELAND – BEGINNING
- Rita agus an tEachtrán scríofa le Máire Zepf, maisithe le Mr Ando agus arna fhoilsiú ag An tSnáthaid Mhór (Éire amháin)
Rita agus an tEachtrán written by Máire Zepf, illustrated by Mr Ando and published by An tSnáthaid Mhór (Ireland only)
Is cailín beag í Rita le smaointe móra. Ba bhreá léi eitilt i spáslong go dtí pláinéad eile agus eachtrán a bheith aici mar chara. Tuigeann Rita nach mbíonn sé éasca teanga agus nósanna nua a fhoghlaim. Agus tiontóidh an t-eachtrán saol Rita (agus an leabhar seo!) bunoscionn.
Rita is a little girl with big ideas. She would love to fly in a spaceship to another planet and have an alien as a friend. Rita understands that it is not easy to learn a new language and customs. And the adventure will turn Rita’s life (and this book!) upside down.
IRELAND – FLUENT
- The Doomsday Club: Shape-Shifters written by Kevin Moran and published by The O’Brien Press
Conan, Jack, Jerry and Yash barely escaped with their lives the last time they messed around with portals, demons and the powerful relic known as the summonstone. But when the chance to reunite with an old friend arises, they decide to use its ancient power one more time. Big mistake. What they summon is not an old friend, or even a new one. It’s something monstrous, something devious … and now it’s loose. Racing against time, the Doomsday Club reluctantly band together again to recapture it before it destroys their city. But the creature has a few tricks up its sleeve, and it won’t be long before there’s more than one shapeshifting monster stalking the streets of Dublin. Unleashing it was easy. Surviving it won’t be …
- Milly McCarthy and the St Patrick’s Day Pandemonium written by Leona Forde, illustrated by Karen Harte and published by Gill Books
Milly’s class has been chosen to represent their school at the local St Patrick’s Day parade! They decide on a float theme of Irish myths and legends, but while Milly thinks she’d be perfect as Queen Maeve, instead she’s given the role of the back end of the Brown Bull of Cooley. What could possibly go wrong?! Quite a lot, as it turns out.. but sure, it’s totally NOT her fault that Ellie causes a stink, or that Ronan’s sliotar goes flying, or that the parade ends in the biggest pile-up Ballybrogin has ever seen …!
‘The sort of book where I can see kids howling with laughter’– Dublin City FM, Katy Conneely
‘A must for Wimpy Kid fans’ – Irish Examiner
WALES
- Un i Ti ac Un i Fi written by Aneirin Karadog, illustrated by Matt Abbott and published by Gwasg Rily Publications (Wales only)
Mae rhannu yn gwneud i bawb wenu! O rannu pitsa a jôc i gwtsh ac ymbarél – ond nid hancesi budr! – mae’r llyfr stori-a-llun chwareus hwn yn dathlu’r pleser a gawn wrth rannu, gofalu am eraill a bod yn garedig.
Sharing makes everything brighter! From pizza and jokes to cuddles and umbrellas — but not sneezes! — this playful picture book celebrates the joy we feel when sharing, caring and being kind
ENDS
For more information, contact MHP Group at worldbookday@mhpgroup.com
About World Book Day | World Book Day is the reading for fun charity. We champion the fun of reading, because it seriously improves lives. Reading for fun is the single biggest indicator that a child will grow up to enjoy a happier and more successful life – more than their family circumstances, their parents’ educational backgrounds or their income. But here’s the challenge, it’s at an all-time low, with only 1 in 3 children now saying they enjoy reading. We believe children are more likely to read if they enjoy it, so we’re on a mission to encourage them to see reading as an entertaining, social and fun thing to do. We want more children to grow up with a life-long, life-changing habit of reading for fun, and all the benefits this brings.
About National Book Tokens – Headline Sponsor of World Book Day | National Book Tokens are the perfect gift for book lovers everywhere and are the only gift cards sold and accepted in bookshops across the UK and Ireland, including all the major chains and Local independents. As proud sponsors of World Book Day, National Book Tokens supports lifelong learning and improving literacy and access to reading for everyone. nationalbooktokens.com
For more information about World Book Day partners featured in the release please visit the following links:
[1] National Literacy Trust, Annual Literacy Survey 2025
[2] National Literacy Trust, Annual Literacy Survey 2024