Julio Torres to Release Children’s Book (Exclusive)

Julio Torres, the co-creator of HBO’s Spanish-language comedy Los Espookys, is set to make his children’s book debut.

Torres will release a picture book called I Want to Be a Vase, inspired by his HBO special My Favorite Shapes, The Hollywood Reporter can exclusively announce. The picture book is set to be published by Simon & Schuster next summer.

“Shapes. You’ve heard of them. You might have even interacted with a few. But do you really know them? From plucky Plunger, who wishes to defy his shape and become a beautiful vase, to other household objects with dreams of a life beyond their predestined roles, I Want to Be a Vase takes readers on an essential and visually stunning journey through the lives and intimate dramas of often-overlooked household appliances,” reads the Simon & Schuster synopsis.

In a statement to THR, Torres says of I Want to Be a Vase, “Had I followed convention, I would probably have a reasonable job and be married with kids in El Salvador, where I’m from. That sounds nice, except I wanted to be an experimental comedian, prolific writer, and so-so actor in New York. At first, I was on a path to be one sort of person, when I really wanted to be another. I wanted to pursue things I wasn’t supposed to, and had the courage to do it, thanks to my parents never saying, ‘That can’t be,’ but instead asking, ‘Well, why not?’ So this book is about a plunger who wants to be a vase. Because, well, why not?”

The book’s artwork was created by 3D animator Julian Glander, whose art has appeared in projects for Disney, Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, Adult Swim and The New York Times. Glander is also the creator of the video game Art Sqool.

“I have been the world’s biggest Julio fan for a while now, and it has been a mega treat to get to create an insane book with him. As a 3D artist, my world is geometry, and what I love most about Julio’s work is his admiration and empathy for cubes, cones, and their more complicated relatives,” says Glander.

He adds “I also love how cinematic I Want to Be a Vase feels. Julio is of course a master at visual storytelling, and you could feel that directorial instinct in his manuscript. I basically built a 3D ‘set’ that contained all the rooms in the book, and we treated it like we were playing in a little digital dollhouse. There are so many places where we get to play with lighting, composition, and atmosphere—very sophisticated stuff for a children’s book. I wish I could turn myself into a baby and read this one with fresh eyes.”

I Want to Be a Vase will be released on June 7, 2022.

Below, THR shares interior pages from the book.

Excerpt from the book I Want to Be a Vase. Text © 2022 by Julio Torres. Illustration © 2022 by Julian Glander. Reprinted with permission of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division. All rights reserved.