The next, Kay's Marvellous Medicine, is out this autumn

Adam Kay is to write three non-fiction books for children.

The deal with Puffin follows the success of Kay’s Anatomy – subtitled A Complete (and Completely Disgusting) Guide To The Human Body – which was published in October.

Now the comedian and former medic has written Kay's Marvellous Medicine: A Gross and Gruesome History of the Human Body,  due out in September.

This is the second in the original two-book deal Kay signed with the publisher, which has now locked him in for two additional titles.

Like its predecessor, the new book  – aimed at the over-sevens – will be illustrated by comedian and artist Henry Paker.

Kay, who became an author with his massively bestselling NHS diaries This Is Going To Hurt, told trade website The Bookseller: ‘I have absolutely adored the first steps of my journey as a children's author and am thrilled to have tricked Puffin into publishing three more books.

‘There's a lot to recommend writing children's books - for example, this is the first time I've been given "twelve million stars out of ten" for my writing, or been sent a depiction of me and my dog carved out of a potato.’

The blurb says the new book will explore ‘why Ancient Egyptians thought the brain was just a useless load of old stuffing that might as well be chucked in the bin, why teachers forced their pupils to smoke cigarettes, why hairdressers would cut off their customers' legs, and why people used to get paid for farting’.

Kay's Anatomy was Puffin's biggest ever hardback non-fiction launch and the best-selling children's non-fiction title last year. It  has already been translated into 21 languages.

• Place an advance order for  Kay's Marvellous Medicine on Amazon.

Published: 16 Mar 2021