Gaiman Signs Multi-Book Deal With HarperCollins

According to Publisher’s Weekly, author Neil Gaiman has signed a multi-book deal with HarperCollins. The agreement includes three novels and two picture books. Both of the picture books will feature a new character created by Gaiman, a panda named Chu, that is known for a huge sneeze. The first book, Chu’s Day, is set for a January 8, 2013 release.

The other three titles in the deal will include a middle-grade novel called Fortunately, the Milk, which HarperCollins calls “an ode to the pleasure and wonders of storytelling itself.” Gaiman will also write a sequel to the 2009 book Odd and the Frost Giants, which features characters from Norse mythology. The third novel in the deal will be a middle grade book, and is currently untitled.