Trying to get your kids to read more? You might want to take them to McDonald’s (MCD), where they’ll get a book instead of a toy in their Happy Meals, now through Feb. 15. Fair warning: You might want to tell them in advance, because they just might throw a fit when they find a paperback instead of a shiny plastic toy.
According to the Los Angeles Times, McDonald’s is including four different books in this experiment. Three of them are Valentine’s Day themed: Clark the Shark Takes Heart by Bruce Hale and illustrated by Guy Francis, Happy Valentine’s Day, Mouse! by Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond, and Pete the Cat: Valentine’s Day Is Cool by Kimberly and James Dean. The fourth book is the classic Paddington by Michael Bond and illustrated by R. W. Alley.
This is the third time the fast food chain has served miniature paperbacks instead of plastic toys in its Happy Meals. By the time this year’s giveaway is over, McDonald’s will have distributed 50 million children’s books.