Paul’s first picture Book “Hey Grandude!” released

On this day, “Hey Grandude!“, the first picture book for children written by Paul McCartney and illustrated by Kathryn Durst, was released. A follow-up named “Grandude’s Green Submarine” would be released in September 2021.

From paulmccartney.com, September 26, 2019:

Hey Grandude! is Paul’s first picture book and will be published in hardcover under the Random House Books for Young Readers imprint in the US and the Puffin imprint in the UK in September 2019.

Paul said: “I’ve written a new children’s picture book. It’s called Hey Grandude! Why? Well… I’ve got eight grandchildren and they’re all beautiful and one day one of them said to me “Hey Grandude!”. I said “What?” and I thought, I kind of like that, so from then on I was kind of known as Grandude. So I thought, you know what, it’s actually a nice idea for a book, so I started to write some stories, and then I talked to the book publishers and they liked what I was doing.  

“So basically it’s about a character called Grandude who represents grandfathers everywhere. He has four grandchildren and he calls them “Chillers”. They love him and they go on adventures with him and he’s kind of magical, so you’ll see that in the book. I wanted to write it for grandparents everywhere – and the kids – so it gives you something to read to the grandkids at bed time.”

Hey Grandude!is an action-packed rollercoaster ride of a picture book that introduces a magical grandpa—the eponymous Grandude—and his four grandchildren. It’s a heartwarming family story; a wild and wonderful adventure with a twist of magic—inspired by Paul’s own experience of being a grandfather. The book will be illustrated by rising star Kathryn Durst, who is represented by Arabella Stein at The Bright Agency.

It’s about a character called Grandude who represents grandfathers everywhere. He has four grandchildren and he calls them “Chillers”. They love him and they go on adventures with him and he’s kind of magical, so you’ll see that in the book. I wanted to write it for grandparents everywhere – and the kids – so it gives you something to read to the grandkids at bed time.

Paul McCartney