Paul McCartney turns paperback writer

0 Comments | AFP, June, 2005

NEW YORK (AFP) — Ex-Beatle Paul McCartney is joining a lengthening list of celebrities turning their hands to children's literature, having inked a deal with Penguin to publish a picture book in October.

"High in the Clouds: An Urban Fairy Tale" follows the adventures of Wirral the Squirrel, and was inspired by "Tropic Island Hum," an animated film McCartney helped create.

"Having worked on this story and the characters for many years, it's very exciting for me to see things come to fruition in what I think will be a remarkable book," McCartney said in a statement Thursday.

The book, with a first print run of 500,000 copies, will be published by Penguin Young Readers Group, a division of Penguin Group (USA).

"This is going to be a major best-seller...