First the Material Girl, now the Piano Man.
Billy Joel has agreed to write two children’s books for Scholastic, the U.S. publisher of the “Harry Potter” novels.
The first book, “Goodnight My Angel,” will be published in September. The picture book will be based on a song of the same name that came out in 1993, as Joel and supermodel Christie Brinkley were divorcing. Joel wrote the song for their daughter, Alexa Ray, who was 7 years old.
“Reassuring children that they are not alone or could be abandoned is very important for their well-being,” Joel said in a statement Tuesday.
His second book, “New York State of Mind,” inspired by one of Joel’s songs, is tentatively scheduled for release in fall 2005.
Last fall, Madonna published the best-selling children’s book “The English Roses.” Other celebrities with children’s books include Jay Leno and Billy Crystal.