War Horse author Morpurgo at centre of row over deal to give away millions of his books at McDonald's

Michael Morpurgo, the best-selling children's author, is at the centre of a row over plans to give away millions of his books with McDonald's Happy Meals. The former children's laureate, whose book War Horse has just been made into a blockbuster film by Steven Spielberg, is the figurehead of the fast-food promotion. The deal, arranged by publisher HarperCollins and backed by the National Literacy Trust, will see McDonald's hand out nine million copies of Morpurgo's Mudpuddle Farm series. In the past, McDonald's gave away toys, often linked to children’s films, to encourage children to eat its Happy Meals. However, children’s food and health campaigners accused the U.S. food chain of adopting a cynical marketing ploy