The Hold Steady have announced a children’s book. Stay Positive, named after their 2008 album, is a “new 32-page book for readers of all ages follows the path of a humble armadillo who discovers along the way how music can pull together a disparate cast of characters,” per a press release. A version of the lyrics to the album’s title track are illustrated by cartoonist and comic book author David “El Dee” Espinosa.

“‘Stay Positive’ has a line that says, ‘The kids at the shows will have kids of their own,’ and it’s true: each year more Hold Steady fans become parents or grandparents,” Craig Finn shared. “So, I’m thrilled that we’re offering the children’s book version of ‘Stay Positive,’ which brings THS joy to the whole family.”

Last year, the band published an oral history of themselves called The Gospel Of Hold Steady: How A Resurrection Really Feels. Their most recent album The Price Of Progress also came out in 2023.

There’s a signed limited-edition version of Stay Positive available for pre-order here, and it comes with a water bottle and sticker sheet. Other pre-orders Here. The children’s book is out on October 1.