Ladybird spoofs pass two million sales mark

Nine more titles will soon join the 10 published last year

The Ladybird Books for Grown-Ups series has sold more than two million copies since its release last October, its publisher has revealed.

Authors Jason Hazeley and Joel Morris join the likes of JK Rowling, Dan Brown and EL James in reaching the landmark sales figure in less than 12 months.

The books use original Ladybird-style artwork alongside tongue-in-cheek text.

The current set of 10 titles include spoof guides to mindfulness, sheds, hipsters and mid-life crises.

Nine more titles in the series will be released later this year.

These include The Ladybird Book of The People Next Door, The Ladybird Book of The Sickie and The Ladybird Book of The Zombie Apocalypse.

The original hardback books have become a nostalgic favourite in recent years.

Upcoming titles in the series include spoof guides to cats, dogs and "pulling a sickie"

Rowland White, Penguin Michael Joseph's editorial director, said the response to the series had been "extraordinary and heart-warming".

Kiera O'Brien, charts and data analyst at The Bookseller magazine, attributed much of the series' success to its suitability as a gift item.

"They're being quite clever in how they're releasing them," she told the BBC, citing the way How It Works: The Mum had been published to coincide with Mother's Day.

Ms O'Brien also cited the "collectability factor" and its relative affordability for a pocket-sized hardback as additional reasons for its appeal.

She added How it Works: The Husband, had now sold nearly as many copies as Jamie Oliver's last cookbook.