McDonald’s Happy Meal Books – Animal Defenses

Animal Defenses

Written by Etta Kaner
Illustrated by Pat Stephens

Imagine that you are afraid, but instead of running and yelling for help, you pretend to be a stick. That’s how an inchworm defends itself! Animal Defenses reveals the unique ways in which animals protect themselves. Easy-to-do experiments and activities explain the tricks animals use to help them survive. With stunning, realistic illustrations, this book is an innovative approach to understanding animal life. Containing lots of interesting facts, activities and easy-to-do experiments, this title in the Animal Behavior series takes a resourceful approach to exploring animal life.

 

McDonald’s Happy Meal Books – Have You Ever Seen an Octopus with a Broom

Have You Ever Seen an Octopus with a Broom

Written by Etta Kaner
Illustrated by David Anderson

Have You Ever Seen an Octopus with a Broom? compares human and animal tools and reveals surprising facts about how animals clean house, fish for food and even play percussion. Maybe you’ve never seen an octopus with a broom – but these animals use jets of water like a broom to sweep out leftovers after a meal, and also sweep sand and small stones out of their den to make it bigger. The Spin It! activity at the end of the book will provide hours of educational enjoyment.

 

Have You Ever Seen an Octopus with a Broom Coloring and Activity Sheets:

 

McDonald’s Happy Meal Books – And the Winner Is …

And the Winner Is …

Written by Etta Kaner
Illustrated by David Anderson

As this informational picture book by award-winning author Etta Kaner begins, sportscasters Walrus and Cockatoo are setting the stage: “Welcome to the World Animal Games — that’s WAG for short. Top athletes from habitats around the world will be competing for the gold! Exciting, isn’t it, Cockatoo?” Along with some comic relief, the pair then provide the play-by-play for the seven sporting events covered in the book. With a total of twenty-eight animals competing, each event, from high jump to weight lifting and swimming, pits a different group of four against one another. Readers are given “stats” for each competitor and are invited to guess who will win. Then they turn the page and find out who won and, importantly, why. They also learn how the winner compares, proportionally, to the best human achievement in that skill. Besides the funny, wisecracking banter between Walrus and Cockatoo, further entertainment is provided in the lively illustrations by David Anderson, as well as in the silly puns. For example, a chicken calls out, “Foul play!” while a goat exclaims, “You’ve got to be kidding!” This book will be hugely appealing to those children who love to learn facts about the strongest, highest and fastest. In the classroom, it’s a perfect introduction to science lessons on living things and their characteristics, with the interactive guessing element a great way to keep children engaged. It also works as a read-aloud during major sporting events such as the Olympics.

 

McDonald’s Happy Meal Books – Loula and Mister the Monster

Loula and Mister the Monster

Written by: Anne Villeneuve
Illustrated by: Anne Villeneuve
Series: Loula

Loula panics when she overhears Mama saying, “I can’t live with that … that MONSTER anymore!” She knows Mama must be talking about Mister, Loula’s beloved dog, who can be “a little too messy, a little too clumsy and a little too hungry … a LOT of the time.” Loula tells Mister, “If you don’t stop with the bad manners, Mama will throw you out, like an old pair of shoes!” And what would Loula do without Mister? She’s just going to have to find a way to transform Mister the monster “into the most perfect little dog no mama can resist.” But will lessons at Loula’s School of Good Manners be enough? Or will the job prove to be too big, even for Loula?

This endearing picture book from award-winning creator Anne Villeneuve is the third story about Loula, a charming and spirited little girl destined to be a classic heroine. The warm and witty narrative combined with the emotion, energy and clever details packed into the ink and watercolor illustrations make for a perfect read-aloud. Loula’s unique blend of imagination and enthusiasm in response to her problems offers an empowering model for children. This title would be an excellent choice for character education lessons on taking initiative and exhibiting resilience in facing up to difficulties. Also, the sweet relationship between Loula and the ever-patient Gilbert — the family chauffeur, who assists with her dog training — is a tribute to the power of positive adult attention.

 

 

Series » Loula

Award-winning author-illustrator Anne Villeneuve’s funny stories star a charming, irrepressible heroine and her loyal sidekick, Gilbert (the family chauffeur). Loula’s special blend of imagination and verve, and her unique approach to solving problems, make for a playful take on positive themes of resilience, initiative and resourcefulness. 
 

 

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McDonald’s Happy Meal Books – Loula and the Sister Recipe

Loula and the Sister Recipe

Written by: Anne Villeneuve
Illustrated by: Anne Villeneuve
Series: Loula

Loula’s three brothers, the Rotten Pirate Triplets, don’t want to play with her. “Brothers,” mutters Loula, “the worst invention in the world.” She decides what she really needs is a sister, one just like her. So naturally, she asks her parents to make one for her. Only, it’s not that easy. Her father explains, “Making a sister is . . . well, it’s like making a cake. You need the right ingredients.” To make a sister, they say, you need a papa and a mama, butterflies in the stomach, a full moon, a candlelit supper, kisses and hugs and chocolate. Well, that’s no problem. Loula can follow this recipe! And she sets out with her loyal sidekick, the chauffeur Gilbert, to do just that.

This second picture book written and illustrated by Anne Villeneuve about the charming and witty Loula firmly establishes her as a classic character who will endure in the hearts of young children. Her slightly eccentric home life adds a delightful whimsy to Loula’s escapades, even while the book deals with the very common experience of wishing for a sibling. The artwork, with several different scenes laid out across each spread, is full of energy and expression. Loula’s own unique blend of imagination and verve provides an empowering, inspiring and positive message, particularly for girls, that you should take matters into your own hands to improve your life. There are great character education lessons here on taking the initiative and exhibiting resilience when seeking a solution.

 

 

Series » Loula

Award-winning author-illustrator Anne Villeneuve’s funny stories star a charming, irrepressible heroine and her loyal sidekick, Gilbert (the family chauffeur). Loula’s special blend of imagination and verve, and her unique approach to solving problems, make for a playful take on positive themes of resilience, initiative and resourcefulness. 
 

Loula and the Sister Recipe Coloring and Activity Sheets:

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