Mark Kelly to write children's book

Retired astronaut Mark Kelly, who collaborated with his wife, former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, on her memoir, is writing a children's book about a mouse that goes to space.

"On my first space shuttle flight, we had 18 mice on board as experiments," Kelly said. "And 17 of them, as soon as we got into zero gravity, stayed latched on to the side of the cage. But one of them seemed comfortable through the whole mission, like he was enjoying it."

His "Mousetronaut: A Partially True Story" will be published in October by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. According to Manhattan-based Simon & Schuster, which released a statement Monday, the book tells of a little mouse chosen for a space mission.

"While in space," the statement says, "the astronauts are busy with their mission when only the smallest member of the crew can save the day." Kelly, who retired in the fall, turns 48 today. Last year, he collaborated with Giffords on the memoir "Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope," which told of her recovery from a shooting.

He spoke by telephone recently with The Associated Press. The father of two girls from a previous marriage, he had long wanted to write a children's book and said he thought of the mouse story a decade ago.

"Mousetronaut" will be illustrated by C.F. Payne, who has worked on books by John Lithgow and Steve Martin and has drawn numerous magazine covers.

Kelly's book deal was negotiated by Washington attorney Robert Barnett, who represented Kelly and Giffords for "Gabby," published last fall by Scribner, a division of Simon & Schuster. "Gabby" told of Giffords' remarkable survival after being shot in the head on Jan. 8, 2011. -- AP