Madonna publishes new kiddies book

Pop star Madonna has written a sequel to her first children’s book, the English Roses.

The former Material Girl has produced five children’s books in the past 18 months in a deal with her publisher Callaway Editions, and the fifth, Lotsa de Casha, was supposed to be her last.

But now she has decided to do a sequel about the girls who starred in her first book. It’s already written and illustrations are under way, she says. The expected publication date is September 2006.

She decided to revisit the young girls who were jealous of a beautiful yet insecure classmate because it was the book closest to her heart – and it’s the favourite of her daughter Lola, she said.

“When I first started out (writing the books), I knew what the first book would be about, jealousy and envy, which I did in The English Roses. … Girls can be especially hard on other girls,” Madonna said.

Publisher Nicholas Callaway said Madonna still has many stories to tell. He also pointed out that The English Roses was on The New York Times’ list of best sellers for 18 weeks.

All of Madonna’s books are supposed to teach a little lesson, and they’ve all been inspired by her own life.