4 woke characters for your kids to dress up as this World Book Day

"To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man." - William Shakespeare (April 23 1564 - April 23 1616)

It's nearly that time of the year again: the Bard of Avon's birthday and — deliciously morbid fact — the anniversary of his death, too. Shakespeare is one of several literary heavyweights who passed away on April 23, which is why UNESCO chose to declare it World Book Day.

During this annual celebration of all things reading-related, young bibliophiles dress up as their favourite book characters. Of course, this requires a fair amount of work for their parents who have to scramble around to find the right pair of Harry Potter glasses, the closest replica to Gandalf's staff, or some mass-produced Wellingtons to perfect their little one's Paddington costume.

Yet ol' Wills said it himself: "to thine own self be true".

So without any further ado, here some literary characters who aren't afraid to be themselves, which makes them a great choice as the inspiration behind your child's World Book Day costume.

1. KWEZI

Loyiso Mkize introduced South Africans to its first local is lekker superhero comic book, Kwezi, in 2014.

The eponymous protagonist of the comic is a 19-year-old guy living in the fictional Gold City (modeled after, yep you guessed it, Joburg), who discovers that he has superpowers.

For someone more interested in girls than being a hero, Kwezi initially struggles to accept his newfound powers. Yet he eventually embraces them and kick some serious butt, while still managing to look sharp as hell.

From his trendy Afrocentric t-shirts to his cool superhero costume, kids and teens alike have plenty to work with here ...

2. PRINCESS SMARTYPANTS

"Princess Smartypants did not want to get married. She enjoyed being a miss. Because she was very pretty and rich all the princes wanted her to be their Mrs."

Babette Cole's tale about a feisty princess who sets her potential suitors near-impossible challenges in order to win her hand in marriage destabilises the archaic idea that girls should be groomed to find their Prince Charming.

It's also chock-a-block fab costume ideas: Princess Smartypants is no stranger to cross-country motorcycling, enjoys roller disco marathons, and prefers dungarees to dresses. Yaaas, kween!

3. DENNIS SIMS

Illustrated by the famed Quinton Blake, the 12-year-old protagonist in David Walliams's The Boy in the Dress enjoys cross-dressing.

A few years after his parents' divorce, Dennis spots a yellow dress on the cover of Vogue, which reminds him of his mother. He unashamedly buys the copy, which is met with fury by his dad, and ridicule from his brother. This doesn't deter Dennis, who continues exploring cross-dressing and even adopts an alter ego, 'Denise'.

Walliams's book subverts the notions of gender roles and reminds us that you shouldn't — in the words of Mean Girls' Kevin Gnapoor — "let the haters stop you from doing your thang". Viva!

4. FOONA-LAGOONA BABOONA

If it's gender neutral that you seek / With a furry mane for a bit of heat / Then look no foortha / Than the Foona-Lagoona Baboonas! / Created by none other than Dr Seuss / These two creatures enjoy a good snooze / They have no discernible sex / To which we say a resounding 'yes!'