LONDON - Australian pop star Kylie Minogue launched her first children's book at the weekend, joining a long list of celebrities writing for the young.

Publishing experts say that in the celebrity age, marketing is increasingly important to a book's sales and more and more stars are putting pen to paper with varying degrees of success.

But while kids' books can seem the easy option when launching a literary career, they are harder to get right than they appear, children's authors add.

From the publisher's point of view, the advantage of attracting a big star is clear, despite the risk of critical derision or cynicism within the industry, experts say.

The first in a series of children's books by U.S. pop star Madonna, "The English Roses", was described by the San Francisco Chronicle in 2003 as "cynical" and "unimaginative", but it went on to become the fastest selling picture book of all time.

Minogue's book is about how Kylie becomes a showgirl with the help of a dedicated group of friends, and was written while the singer recovered from breast cancer treatment. It features artwork inspired by drawings sent by fans during convalescence.

The book, published by Penguin arm Puffin, went on sale on September 21 in Australia and Britain, and was officially launched by the 38-year-old at a book signing in London at the weekend.

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