Patrick Ryan

USA TODAY

The beast of burden is a softie, after all.

Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards is set to release a children's book, Gus & Me: The Story of My Granddad and My First Guitar, on Sept. 9. Released digitally and in print, the picture book will feature illustrations by his artist daughter Theodora Richards.

Gus & Me was written with Barnaby Harris and Bill Shapiro, and is inspired by Richards' childhood — specifically his grandfather Theodore Augustus Dupree, a jazz musician fondly known as "Gus."

"I have just become a grandfather for the fifth time, so I know what I'm talking about," Richards says. "The bond, the special bond, between kids and grandparents is unique and should be treasured. This is a story of one of those magical moments. May I be as great a grandfather as Gus was to me."

This isn't the esteemed rocker's first foray into writing: He released his autobiography, Life, in 2010.