We’ve had Angry Birds toys, clothes and lunch boxes, so children’s books were surely only a matter of time. And sure enough, Rovio has agreed a deal with publisher Egmont to bring out a range of Angry Birds kids books in the UK and Ireland.

The range, which will also be available in English-speaking Commonwealth countries according to TechCrunch, will kick off with an official joke book, set for publication before Christmas, with additional titles coming next year.

There have been previous Angry Birds books – Bad Piggies Egg Recipes and National Geographic Angry Birds Space – but these were very much one-off titles. What is more, Egmont managing director David Riley has high expectations for the new range, which he hopes will persuade children to read more.

“Its rich source of humour and characters makes it the perfect publishing brand and with fans in their millions, we hope the books will inspire some of those 75% of 8-12 year olds who own a mobile phone to get into reading,” he said in a statement (via TechCrunch).