Mind Candy, developer of the children's online game, Moshi Monsters, has appointed Penguin Group to publish a series of Moshi Monsters books.

The first title will explore a popular element of the game called Moshlings, cute, colorful and collectible creatures that are pets of the Moshi Monsters. The book will delve into their backstory, habitats, quirks and provide other valuable information for dedicated Moshling hunters. The book will also contain a unique code to unlock a secret Moshling at the Moshi Monsters website. Two books are planned for release in 2010 globally and a further five to follow in 2011.

"Moshi Monsters grew tenfold in 2009 and we feel now is the right time to begin expanding the property offline," says Michael Acton Smith, chief executive officer of Mind Candy. "Books will be one of the key categories for the brand and we feel Penguin would be the perfect partner to help us expand the property."

"The licensing landscape has changed in the last year or so with some of the most compelling story content for kids coming from virtual worlds, and the Penguin Group is honored to add Moshi Monsters to its program of successful virtual world tie-ins," says Eric Huang, category publisher, brands and licensing, Penguin Group. "All the books will contain links to exclusive content and act in tandem with the site to expand the digital world with a physical component to make Moshi Monsters even more fun."