'New Girl' star Max Greenfield has a new kids book. How to see him in metro Phoenix

Many people likely know Max Greenfield for his iconic portrayal of Schmidt in the hit comedy series "New Girl," but maybe what you don't know is that he's also a children's book author.

In fact, he's about to release his fourth children's book, "Good Night Thoughts," and Changing Hands Bookstore will be hosting him at the Mesa Arts Center on Friday, Sept. 6, to talk about his new book.

Inspired by Greenfield's late friend and fellow actor Leslie Jordan, "Good Night Thoughts" is about all those crazy, anxious thoughts you have before you go to sleep at night and how to overcome them.

How Leslie Jordan inspired 'Good Night Thoughts'

Greenfield's first three 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" center on the fears some children have around reading and learning differently.

"Good Night Thoughts" pivots to a different sort of fear: thoughts that storm your brain as you wait to fall asleep at night.

While that may sound pretty heavy for a children's book, Greenfield expertly navigates real issues kids might experience — like "what if my best friend moves away?" — and turns them into more whimsical versions, such as the friend sailing off on a pirate ship made of toast.

"When the discussion came about of what's next, it was right around the time when a friend of mine, Leslie Jordan, had passed away. We were very close, and he had introduced me to this exercise where you list all the fears that you have and his list was always far more entertaining than mine," said Greenfield.

Jordan was beloved for his genuine and silly nature, and his list of fears, according to Greenfield, usually included things like bumblebees or pocketknives.

"The idea would be to read that list aloud and at the end ask yourself: 'Which of those fears are in front of you right now?' And usually, none of them were," Greenfield said. "And the next question would be: 'Well, then why are you carrying them around with you?' And I always remembered that."

Cultivating communication between kids and adults

Raise your hand if you've been personally victimized by your own racing thoughts as you lay down to sleep.

I thought so.

For Greenfield, one of the most rewarding aspects of writing children's books is giving kids and adults the opportunity to talk about scary things.

"We wanted a child to have every opportunity to relate and identify with any of (the fears), because really, the goal of the book is not necessarily for your child, it's really to maybe open up a conversation with a child who has anxiety to open up about that," Greenfield said.

How to see Max Greenfield in metro Phoenix

Greenfield will talk about his children's books in the Piper Theater at Mesa Arts Center on Friday, Sept. 6. The event is hosted by Changing Hands Bookstore. Greenfield will sign books after his talk

"Writing the books is probably the easiest part. It's the fact that people are willing to publish and put them out in the world is really unbelievable," Greenfield said. "I'm just so incredibly grateful and I love these books, I love them so much. I really feel like they're an extension of my experience as a child, and maybe I never grew up, really.

"The fact that we're able to sort of harness these ideas and put them into this medium and collaborate with incredible, incredible illustrators like Mike Lowry and James Serafino, I'm as proud of these books as I am of anything else in my life."

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Max Greenfield at Mesa Arts Center

When: 7-8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 6.

Where: Mesa Arts Center, 1 E. Main St.

Admission: $28 plus taxes and fees for one admission and one copy of "Good Night Thoughts" or $35 plus taxes and fees for two admissions and one copy of "Good Night Thoughts."

Details: 480-730-0205, www.changinghands.com.

Meredith G. White covers entertainment and culture for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. She has the latest news about video games, television and things to do in metro Phoenix. Follow her on X and Instagram @meredithgwhite and on Facebook as Meredith G. White. Email her at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Max Greenfield's new book helps kids manage their anxiety