It’s been a standout summer for actor, playwright, and now kids’ book author John Leguizamo, who’s getting raves for his performance in Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey.”
His portrayal of Odysseus’ long-suffering, blind servant Eumaeus has been called one of the film’s standout roles. But for the younger crowd, the big news is that the man who has been the voice of Sid the Sloth in “Ice Age” movies for the last 24 years has released his first children’s book (along with childhood friend John “Crash” Mattos) — the story a scrappy young Latino boy who unleashes his inner artist and his inner pride, as he learns about about the Latino heroes he didn’t know existed.
“Kiki and the Can,” illustrated by Liz Casal, is filled with vibrant illustrations that Leguizamo says give the warmth and vibrancy of the neighborhoods he grew up in, but also include portraits of Latin heroes kids can look up to, ranging from Bad Bunny to Luis Walter Alvarez, who developed a radar system for tracking planes, Domingo Liotta who pioneered the artificial heart, WNBA star Rebecca Lobo and more.
The goal Leguizamo tells host Scott Tong is to let all kids, regardless of background, feel seen.
By John Leguizamo
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