McDonald’s is launching a book-led Happy Meal in restaurants all over the UK this month to help children discover the fun of reading this World Book Day. Two You Choose books, published by Puffin, and eight You Choose activity journals will be available in restaurants during Happy Meals. The books are perfect for shared reading and encourage creativity across all reading abilities.
The launch comes as new figures show that 40% of parents say their children are deterred from reading because there are too many distractions and 22% say it’s because their children find words too hard to read. 19% say a lack of access to a variety of genres is also a deterrent.
McDonald’s is committed to providing access to books for as many families as possible through its Happy Readers programme, which has distributed over 160 million books to date. One of the ways McDonald’s distributes to communities is through its partnerships with charities such as World Book Day. This year, on March 6, families can collect a free You Choose book and until March 23, they will receive a £1 book token with every Happy Meal purchase from every restaurant across the UK.
The You Choose books allow children to pick between different characters, settings, clothing and vehicles to create new stories every time.
To support the promotion, McDonald’s will be going on a You Choose book tourto 118 restaurants nationwide. There will be stages with You Choose themed props and brand ambassadors who will host and narrate stories that families can get involved with too.
McDonald’s Franchisee Jayne Aspin Mayne, who owns and operates two restaurants in the Warrington area, said: “As a mother of two myself, I know how hard it can be to find time to read with my kids and I’m always looking for ways to elevate their reading journeys. I’ve loved hearing all the ways parents are championing getting their kids excited about reading. At McDonald’s we want to support parents and provide them with a helping hand when it comes to children’s literacy. We’re so excited for the You Choose books to do just that.
“Reading together is such an important bonding time that gives kids a chance to let their imagination run wild and learn new words and about whole new worlds. I’m passionate about helping other families do this too, and not miss out on creating memories with their little ones.”
Pippa Goodhart and Nick Sharratt, creators of the You Choose books, said: “Rather than telling a fixed story, our You Choose books let children choose purely for the fun of choosing. They can make silly or serious choices, be consistent or pick a daft mix of things. We are delighted that McDonald’s has chosen to promote reading for pleasure to a very large number of children particularly when statistics show that it is at its lowest since monitoring began two decades ago. Finding books and related activities as gifts in their Happy Meals gives children a clear message that books are exciting. We hope that this will encourage more children to create their own fantastical stories and in so doing, discover the fun you can have with a book. We look forward to seeing the You Choose books being enjoyed by even more children across the country!”