Actor and comedian John Leguizamo is making his children’s literature debut with a book coming in 2026, People magazine reports.
Orchard Books will publish Kiki and the Can: Paint His World, illustrated by John “Crash” Matos and Liz Casal, next summer. The press says that Leguizamo “shows us the power of imagination in this exploration of a kid’s creativity with his can of spray paint and graffiti.”
Leguizamo is known for his work in films including Carlito’s Way and To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar. He has been nominated for four Tony Awards for his stage shows Freak, Sexaholix…a Love Story, and Latin History for Morons. He published a memoir, Pimps, Hos, Playa Hatas, and All the Rest of My Hollywood Friends: My Life, in 2006.
Matos is a celebrated graffiti artist who has designed guitars for Eric Clapton and Ed Sheeran; Casal is the author and illustrator of the children’s book Baller Ina.
Kiki and the Can will follow a young boy who paints murals in his city after finding a can of spray paint.
“Kiki’s story is about the pride everyone can have for their cultural roots, and how, when you don’t see yourself on the pages of books, your very own creativity can shine a colorful spotlight on what’s been left out,” Leguizamo told People.
Kiki and the Can is slated for publication on August 4, 2026.
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
