David Sedaris often surprises me with his humor, but what really startled me was this: He has just published a children’s book.

Yes, the author with the sly, subversive sense of humor has turned his unique point of view on a story for a picture book. In “Pretty Ugly,” an ogre knows how to make “terrible faces.” His family warns him that he should stop making those faces because, one day, he’ll get stuck that way. And sure enough, he gets frozen with the kind of face an ogre would hate, that of a cute little human girl.

Sedaris has been predictably irreverent when promoting the book (he assured Seth Meyers there were no lessons to be learned in it, and pointed out there are precious few words on each page).

I doubt Sedaris will spend much time promoting that publication when he comes to the Garde Arts Center Wednesday for an appearance. I’m expecting him to do what fans have grown to love: He’ll talk a bit, and he’ll read some stories he has already published, plus new material, using the audience reaction to gauge how that new material is working.

David Sedaris, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 3, Garde Arts Center, 325 State St., New London; tickets $35-$75 plus fees; gardearts.org.