Many of the kids today are typically spotted holding mobile phones and tablets instead of books. You can see this for yourself if you happen to dine in any food outlet where children are given such devices and gadgets to keep them preoccupied.
Now, it looks like McDonald’s plans to change this with a very different approach to let children find reading more interesting!
Source: McDonald’s Malaysia
According to a press release by McDonald’s Malaysia that was sent to WORLD OF BUZZ, they have now launched a Happy Meal Readers programme in an effort to encourage more young Malaysians to develop the habit of reading as well as to promote family togetherness.
The launch of this programme was held earlier today (20 February), as reported in Malay Mail.
As stated in McDonald’s press release, the fast food chain has now partnered with world-renowned author and illustrator Cressida Cowell, known for the bestselling “How to Train Your Dragon” series. Families are given the option of choosing either a book or a toy with their Happy Meal purchases nationwide.
Source: unitedbypop
For customers who choose to get a book, they will get a brand new dinosaur-themed children’s storybook written by Cressida Cowell. The book that will be given to McDonald’s customers is titled “Treetop Twins Adventures”, which features 12 standalone stories, with one book being released each month throughout the year. The book will be available in both English and Bahasa Malaysia.
To make the reading experience more fun, digital versions of the books are also made available through the Happy Studio app which can be downloaded on both the Google Play Store and the App Store. The kids are going to love this!
As reported in Malay Mail, parents can also join their children to read and interact with the stories to bring the book’s illustrations to life with a scan feature using the app, increasing family time!
Source: McDonald’s Malaysia
McDonald’s Malaysia’s marketing director Eugene Lee said that the purpose of coming up with this Happy Meal Readers programme is to foster a reading culture along with bringing families closer together. He was quoted as saying,
“We want to encourage families to spend more time together. The Happy Meal Readers programme encourages parents to enjoy quality time with their children through reading.”
“We hope that the initiative will instill a lifelong love of reading among children by making it a fun activity for the whole family.”
Source: McDonald’s Malaysia
He also pointed out that the Happy Meal Readers programme also aims to aid the government’s aspirations to make Malaysia a reading nation under the Education Ministry’s 10-year National Reading Decade Programme.
There were more than 300,000 copies of the book’s first edition that have been distributed nationwide, which were released in January. As for the Happy Studio App, there were approximately 300,000 mobile users last month.
A good move by McDonald’s Malaysia in promoting reading and encouraging quality family time together!
What do you think about the Happy Meal Readers programme? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section!
Also read: This Man Wins the Internet by Preparing Romantic McDonald’s Dinner for V-Day
