Arcos Dorados, the franchise that operates the McDonald’s brand in 20 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, announced the return of the Happy Meal Books program with a new collection of children’s titles called “Yo puedo”, an initiative that allows families to choose between a book or a toy with his Happy Meal. The promotion of reading is part of the company’s socio-environmental strategy, Recipe for the Future, and responds to the challenge of accessing children’s books in Latin American countries. Within this framework, the program contributes to the democratization of children’s literature in the region.
According to a report by the Regional Center for the Promotion of Books in Latin America and the Caribbean (CERLAC), only 50 percent of young Latinos reach the minimum level of reading proficiency. Along the same lines, a recent study conducted by the World Bank together with the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco), for its acronym in English), cites that four out of five sixth-grade students in Latin America and the Caribbean fall short of the minimum level of reading comprehension. In fact, the youngest and those of lower socio-economic status“were disproportionately affected” by the pandemic and warns that this could have a direct impact “the future well-being of millions of children”. As a favorite restaurant for families and due to its large scale, McDonald’s has the opportunity to promote children’s approach to reading, as a commitment to their intellectual and creative development.
“Closing educational gaps is a big challenge in Latin America, which is why at Arcos Dorados and McDonald’s Happy Meals we want to facilitate children’s access to books that inspire them to develop a reading habit. This is how we support families in improving their children’s skills when it comes to reading and writingArcos Dorados Vice President of Corporate Communications David Grinberg said, adding “In this way we also promote fun and meaningful meeting moments between adults and children”.
The “Yo Puedo” collection presents a series of books, created exclusively for McDonald’s, which tell the story of the childhoods of famous people from all over the world and what inspired them to dream big. Through these important personalities, such as the physicist Marie Curie, the boxer Muhammad Ali or the painter Frida Kahlo, among many others, the goal is to open up a world of opportunities and motivate the little ones to have confidence in their abilities, encouraging them to pursue their dreams, their passions and achieve everything they set out to do.
“The habit of reading is a fundamental tool for understanding the world in childhood and today, for various reasons, it is being lost. With this initiative we try to promote this activity, because reading is not only a lot of fun, but it also helps children to express their feelings. In this sense, this launch aims to inspire them through the stories of historical figures, motivating them to develop their talents in whatever field they set out to do.”indicated the director of McDonald’s Uruguay, Ricardo Méndez.
The 12 issues of the “Yo Puedo” collection by Cajita Feliz Libros are produced on paper certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), therefore compliant with the high environmental standards of the Arcos regional strategy. operation on the environment.
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The action of delivering books together with the Happy Meal is also in line with McDonald’s global commitment to evolve this product and deliver books or toys made entirely from renewable, recycled and certified materials by the end of 2025.
