Beatle McCartney writes children's book

NEW YORK - Former Beatle Paul McCartney is writing a children's book called "High in the Clouds: An Urban Furry Tale," to be released in October, his publisher Penguin said in a statement.

The book was inspired by an animated film called "Tropic Island Hum," which McCartney worked on with animator Geoff Dunbar. The publisher said it was an adventure story about a squirrel and a frog, and the cover illustration shows the two main characters in a hot-air balloon.

"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 the statement.

Penguin said McCartney was collaborating with Dunbar and veteran children's book author Philip Ardagh on the book. It will have an initial print run of 500,000 copies and will come out in eight countries.

McCartney, 62, recently became a father again with his wife Heather Mills McCartney. He has four adult children from his first marriage to Linda McCartney who died of breast cancer.

This is not the first time McCartney has turned his creative juices to the task of entertaining children.

In 1984 he made a cartoon called "Rupert and the Frog Song" which featured the hit single "We All Stand Together."

Best known for writing such Beatles classics as "Yesterday," "Hey Jude" and "Let It Be," McCartney published a book of lyrics and poems in 2001 called "Blackbird Singing" and a book of paintings in 2000.

- REUTERS