Julio Torres just sees the world differently: Wells are portals for introspection, cacti have inner monologues, and the letter E deserves accessories. So it should come as no surprise that his first children’s book, I Want to Be a Vase, is about a plunger’s quest to break out of its societally prescribed role. Because of course! The upcoming book, according to The Hollywood Reporter, was inspired by Torres’s first stand-up special, My Favorite Shapes, in which he commented on objects as they passed by him on a conveyor belt. “Shapes. You’ve heard of them. You might have even interacted with a few. But do you really know them?” asks the description of I Want to Be a Vase, out from Simon & Schuster on June 7, 2022. Illustrated by Julian Glander, the book is touted as a “visually stunning journey through the lives and intimate dramas of often-overlooked household appliances.”
In a statement to THR, Torres, who writes for Saturday Night Live and co-created and stars in Los Espookys, said the book was inspired by his own journey to become “an experimental comedian, prolific writer, and so-so actor in New York.” “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?’” he continued. “So this book is about a plunger who wants to be a vase. Because, well, why not?”
