Max Greenfield to Publish Children’s Book Inspired by Late Friend Leslie Jordan (Exclusive)

“I think Leslie would have been very happy with how it turned out," Greenfield says

Max Greenfield is paying tribute to his friend Leslie Jordan with a new book inspired by their friendship.

The New Girl actor has exclusively announced with PEOPLE that he is working on a new children’s book. Good Night Thoughts, which is illustrated by James Serafino, will be published this fall by Putnam Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers.

“I’m scared ALL the time! About anything and everything. And that’s on a good day,” Greenfield says in a statement shared with PEOPLE. “Good Night Thoughts is a gentle reminder that fear is often a chosen path and that sometimes what frightens us most is our own imagination.”

Good Night Thoughts asks an age-old question: What do we do when we can’t fall asleep at night? Told through the eyes of a child protagonist whose mind is racing at bedtime, the book will help readers of all ages to both recognize and manage anxiety.

Good Night Thoughts was also inspired by Greenfield’s friend and costar, the late actor Leslie Jordan, who passed away in 2022 at age 67. The two first met in 2017 while filming the sitcom Will & Grace, and had kept in touch ever since.

Related: Dolly Parton, Cardi B and More Pay Tribute to Leslie Jordan: 'Shocked as If I Have Lost a Family Member'

“What a gift it was to know Leslie Jordan,” Greenfield wrote on Instagram in 2022. “He was a famous star. And when the world finally embraced him as such, everything finally made sense.”

The book was inspired by conversations Greenfield and Jordan used to have about their own anxieties.

“My dear friend Leslie Jordan and I would talk often about this very subject," Greenfield says. "What we were most afraid of and how to put those thoughts to bed. Our conversations with one another were the inspiration for this book."

Related: Leslie Jordan Recounts Childhood Summers Spent at the Bookmobile: 'Probably the Greatest Gift'

“Max always brings his authentic self to his work, and in Good Night Thoughts, he digs even deeper, sharing a vulnerable part of himself that will surely make readers of all ages feel seen,” says the book’s editor Jennifer Klonsky. “But never fear! Max’s signature humor is on display here, perfectly paired with art by the ultra-talented James Serafino. This will be a read-aloud favorite for so many reasons!”

Greenfield has previously published the children’s books I Don't Want to Read This Book, This Book Is Not a Present and I Don't Want to Read This Book Aloud, which all touch upon the importance of childhood reading.

Related: Max Greenfield Reveals the One Rule He and His Wife Are Strict About with Their 2 Kids: 'Be Kind'

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“I think Leslie would have been very happy with how it turned out, although he probably would have wanted to be on the front cover,” Greenfield says of his latest book.

Good Night Thoughts will hit shelves on Sept. 3, 2024.

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Read the original article on People.