McCartney's a paperback writer

First it was Fergie with her Budgie The Helicopter stories and then it was Madonna coming over all moralistic with her offering The English Roses.

Now, Sir Paul McCartney has turned his hand to writing a book for children.

The former Beatle has teamed up with veteran children's author Philip Ardagh and animator Geoff Dunbar to pen High In The Clouds: An Urban Furry Tail.

It tells the tale of two friends, a squirrel and a frog, who save other animals.

Sir Paul, 62, said he had worked on the characters and story for years. 'It's very exciting for me to see things come to fruition,' he added.

The book, which has a 500,000 print run, will be published in October.

Meanwhile, the second man to land on the moon, Buzz Aldrin, is hoping to inspire the next generation of astronauts with a book aimed at under-nines.

In Buzz Aldrin: Reaching For The Moon, the 75-year-old former astronaut tells his life story, up to his 1969 moon landing.

He tells his readers: 'If you set your sights high, you may accomplish more than you ever dreamed.'