McDonald’s Happy Meals Just Got Happier with New Choices Between Toys and Books!

Disclosure: I was compensated for this post, but my opinions are my own.

When I was a child, having a Happy Meal at McDonald’s was one of my favourite special treats for dinner. Choosing my meal item, having cookies for dessert, the surprise of the toy, every bit of it was something to be savoured. And while McDonald’s Happy Meals have changed a lot over the years, one thing hasn’t changed…how much they’re loved by children across Canada!

boy mcdonalds happy meal

But now, McDonald’s Canada has found a way to make Happy Meals even happier, and it’s one I couldn’t be more excited about. Thanks to a great new partnership with Kids Can Press and First Book Canada, children will have one more way to personalize their Happy Meal by choosing between a toy and a book, starting today!

benjamin mcdonalds books and happy meal

I have been a huge literacy advocate even before I had children, and with my third boy on the way, that certainly hasn’t changed! So, I love that McDonald’s is helping to bring the joy of reading to children across Canada in such a fun way. And all the books included in McDonald’s Happy Meals are written by Canadian authors and include such favourite titles as No Dragons For Tea by Jean E. Pendziwol, Franklin’s Halloween by Paulette Bourgeois and Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend by Melanie Watt!

mcdonalds bookshelf shelfie

To celebrate this new program in a meaningful way, McDonald’s is also giving books to children in need…with your help! Just post a photo of your bookshelf on your favourite social media network with the hashtag #OwnABookGiveABook and McDonald’s will donate one book on your behalf, up to a maximum of 20,000 books!

My boys have long been fans of Franklin, Scaredy Squirrel and some of the other popular children’s characters and books from Kids Can Press, but there’s no doubt in my mind that they’ll also meet many new friends with every Happy Meal they get in the future. Kid-friendly food, a fun environment and, now, a book to read any time with Mom and Dad means that as far as I’m concerned, McDonald’s has once again found a way to make Happy Meals even better!

21 thoughts on “McDonald’s Happy Meals Just Got Happier with New Choices Between Toys and Books!”

  1. Love Love Love that they now offer a choice of a book, I actually saw several kids pick the book option the last time we were there.

  2. The books are a great idea , my grand kids love me to read to them , the toy is usually junk anyways and they get bored of it in 10 minutes :)

  3. Elizabeth Matthiesen

    Well unfortunately, when we went to McD’s with my granddaughter who, much to my surprise, chose a book instead of a toy they didn’t have any books at all! Both she and I were totally disappointed. So much advertising about this claim of book or toy and then we had no choice – that is certainly not good PR!

    1. That’s so frustrating, Elizabeth! On the plus side, maybe the fact they didn’t have any means lots of kids are choosing books, which is great! But I definitely agree that the locations should be well stocked so they can deliver what they’re advertising.

  4. Debbie White Beattie

    I think it’s a great option to be able to choose a book because it gets kids learning while having fun and the toy just ends up in a pile or in the garbage.

  5. Rosanne Robinson

    Kudos to McDonald’s for encouraging children to read and providing the book option with their Happy Meal.

  6. kristen visser

    no way are you serious?? wow that is AMAZING!! things have definitely come a long way since i was a youngest going to McDonalds! so awesome

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