Paul McCartney Announces Picture Book Called 'Hey Grandude'

Legendary musician Paul McCartney has announced that he has written his own picture book for children about a magical grandpa named ‘Grandude,’ who goes on adventures with his four grandchildren.

McCartney, who’s a grandfather to eight, said that Grandude refers to his grandchildren as the ‘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.”

Explaining the title, McCartney said: “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.”

The book will feature illustrations from Canadian artist Kathryn Durst who said she was “thrilled” to be a part of the project. “I have wonderful childhood memories of my dad taking my siblings and me on exciting adventures, just like Grandude does in the book,” she said.

This isn’t the first time McCartney has dabbled in the world of children’s books. In 2005 he teamed up with author Philip Ardagh and illustrator Geoff Dunbar to create an ecological picture book called High in the Clouds, which followed Wirrel the squirrel as he tries to take back his land from developers.

Hey Grandude is set to be released in September 2019.