Out now: Paul McCartney’s children’s book Hey Grandude

Paul McCartney’s first children’s picture book Hey Grandude! has been released today, September 5. The book is about a granddad who is having adventures with his grandchildren. The former Beatle also made a five minute long audio book and an audio cd of the story, accompanied with an instrumental soundtrack, called Hey Grandude Guitar Theme. But the release of this audio version is postponed for a week and will be released on September 12.

Video: Recording the audio book

Paul has eight grandchildren, six boys and two girls - aged from seven to 20. One of them gave him the nickname Grandude, and after a while also the other kids started to call him Grandude. So the title of the book is inspired by his nickname, but as McCartney explains in an interview with the BBC, the children’s book is not about him:

Grandude isn't supposed to be me, because he's magic and I'm not. I imagined him as a sort of eccentric old guy. He's got a grey beard, a little bit of a ponytail, so he's a little bit groovy. He has a little hat and a bow tie. And he has this magic compass, so when he rubs that you can go anywhere."

And with this magic compass the intrepid explorer grandfather and his four grandkids take off on a whirlwind magical mystery tour: They ride horses with a cowboy in the desert, face an army of crabs on a tropical beach and dodge an avalanche while having a picnic up a mountain. 

Tomorrow, september 6, McCartney will take part in a rare signing at the Piccadilly branch of London’s Waterstones alongside Canadian artist Kathryn Durst who made the colourful illustrations for the book. During the special appearance, McCartney will read the story of ‘Hey Grandude’.

Last month, fans and customers had the chance to purchase one of a limited amount of tickets to attend the event with up to two children or grandchildren to meet the singer-songwriter and have a copy of Hey Grandude! signed in person. The tickets were sold out within just a few minutes.

Paul and illustrator @KathrynDurst will be visiting @WaterstonesPicc in London on 6th September to sign copies of Paul's new picture book ‘Hey Grandude!’. Tickets go on sale on Monday 12th August at 10am. More info HERE: https://t.co/fjLwwoEDfd pic.twitter.com/T19yvzuecK

— Paul McCartney (@PaulMcCartney) August 8, 2019

André Homan

André Homan is a Dutch writer and journalist.

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