He’s an actor, author, stand-up comedian, and screenwriter. Really, what can’t B.J. Novak do? Now add a children’s book to his dossier. Novak’s The Book with No Pictures comes by its title honestly; the book is one filled with only words, in different fonts and colors and sizes. Funny, creative, and smart, the book, which forces the reader to say a slew of ridiculous words, is guaranteed to get a laugh out of any kid you know—just watch the trailer below, from one of Novak’s live readings, for proof.

On the eve of the book’s release, Novak caught up with VF Hollywood to chat about the origins of the book, his childhood inspirations, and how one little girl made his day.

VF Hollywood: Why write a children’s book? You’ve done so many other things. Why this, now?

B.J. Novak: I love getting a laugh. There’s nothing more satisfying than getting a laugh from a kid, because there’s no such thing as polite laughter, or social laughter. My friends and cousins are starting to have kids and every time I’m around them, I’m always asking them, “What books do you like? What can I read to you?,” hoping to find something funny that I can read them. And one day I just had an idea: I think I know what a kid’s dream book would be to hear. It would be a book that they would hand me that would make me say silly things that I didn’t want to say.

And did you ever think that was doable with pictures? Or did you have the very specific idea that you wanted to do it with just words?

Well, I have two answers, and they’re both true. The idealistic answer, and it’s true, is that I thought, There’s a really exciting way to show kids that the written word can be their ally and that it’s possible to do something extremely powerful—which is overpower an adult and your experience with them, using only words. Words that can be on your side. And I thought there was a beautiful, exciting lesson in that, in making words something—which they are, rebellious and a form of freedom—that a kid can learn is on their side whenever they want it to be. And the simple answer is that I can’t draw, and I wanted to do it all myself.