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Summary
Summary
A heartwarming picture book that explores the experience of autism and the power of friendship.
A 2020 Schneider Family Honor Book
In Classroom Six, second left down the hall, Henry has been on the lookout for a friend. A friend who shares. A friend who listens. Maybe even a friend who likes things to stay the same and all in order, as Henry does. But on a day full of too close and too loud , when nothing seems to go right, will Henry ever find a friend--or will a friend find him? With insight and warmth, this heartfelt story from the perspective of a boy on the autism spectrum celebrates the everyday magic of friendship.
BACK TO SCHOOL: Familiar school scenarios--from new schedules to making new friends--are portrayed with humor and understanding in this sweet picture book that will appeal to and reassure any child starting or continuing in school.
DIVERSE STORIES: Representing neurodivergent kids is a vital aspect of expanding diverse representation across books for all ages. A Friend for Henry provides a mirror and a window for kids on the autism spectrum and their friends to see themselves in the stories they read.
AN AWARD-WINNING TEAM AND A BELOVED CHARACTER: Jenn Bailey and Mika Song were awarded a Schneider Family Honor Award for A Friend for Henry . Now, fans of this award-winning picture book can grow along with Henry! Henry's story continues in Henry, Like Always , the first book in an early reader series based on the same character.
Perfect for: Preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school classrooms Parents of children with autism spectrum disorder Librarians, teachers, and booksellers looking for children's picture books that celebrate diversity and inclusion A reassuring read for kids with varying levels of social anxiety Gift-givers looking for a sweet and relatable book about making friends
Author Notes
Jenn Bailey is an author, editor, documentarian, blue-ribbon pie baker, and eager traveler. She lives in Kansas City, Missouri. This is her first picture book.
Mika Song is a children's writer and illustrator. She grew up in Manila, Philippines, and Honolulu, Hawaii, before moving to New York, where she worked as an animator prior to making children's books. She lives in New York City.
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-Henry is looking for a friend who is quiet, shares, and likes to read. Making friends can be difficult for anyone, but it is especially hard for Henry. He misreads social situations, believing that because a classmate has rainbow-painted nails, she would enjoy having her shoes painted. He lines the reading carpet squares up perfectly and melts down when another classmate's rambunctious, imaginative play disrupts the squares. One by one, classmates are ruled out as potential friends-until Katie. Katie is quiet and likes to read, too. However, Katie slides down the big slide, something Henry would never do. Still, the two bond over their love for the class fish, and Henry takes a chance and asks Katie to play with him. They play together both indoors and out, leading Henry to the realization that friends don't have to be exactly alike to appreciate each other. The ink-and-watercolor illustrations show a diverse classroom. Henry is Asian and Katie is African American. It is never stated that Henry has autism, but his actions and thought processes will be familiar to readers who know someone on the autism spectrum. VERDICT A simple, upbeat story that might inspire readers to seek out friendship, and a good addition to general picture book collections.-Kelly Roth, Bartow County Public Library, Cartersville, GA © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
This quiet story looks on as Henry, a boy on the autism spectrum, interacts with his classmates in search of a friend. With sensitivity and thoughtfulness, Bailey explores Henry's literalminded, analytical personality and the way it clashes with some of the other children's dispositions. When Henry arranges carpet squares for reading time ("All the edges met and the corners fit perfectly"), his classmate Samuel grabs one, insisting that it is a magic carpet. Henry becomes frustrated-the squares were carefully arranged, he says, and they're "from Rug World. There's a sticker." Artwork by Song (Tea with Oliver) captures Henry and his classmates in graceful, economical strokes. When he's upset, Henry's eyebrows furrow and his fists clench. Soon, though, he's watching Gilly the classroom goldfish; another child, Katie, watches the bowl silently opposite him. "She's shimmery," says Katie. "But she doesn't blink," Henry responds. Young readers will see that Katie is the kind of friend who will give Henry the space and consideration he needs, and they'll feel his relief. Bailey, the author's biography explains, is the mother of a child on the autism spectrum, and her portrayal of what autism might feel like from the inside rings true. Ages 5-8. Author's agent: Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary Studio. Illustrator's agent: Erica Rand Silverman, Stimola Literary Studio. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
While the other kids lining up outside Classroom Six are chatting pleasantly, Henry stands apart, body stiff and face blank. Nevertheless, the text tells us: Henry was looking for a friend. Unfortunately, everyone is just too much for Henry: some kids are messy; others dont follow class rules. Vivianne waves her rainbow-painted fingernails too close to Henrys face; Samuel is a thunderstorm, booming and crashing, disrupting the carpet squares Henry has painstakingly organized by color, which throws Henry into a tantrum. The story turns hopeful when Henry meets Katie, a quiet girl who enjoys reading. Songs pastel-hued ink and watercolor illustrations depict realistic social situations in a supportive and diverse classroom, paying particular attention to facial expressions ranging from frustration to joy. Although seemingly told from the perspective of a boy on the autism spectrum, the story never uses this label, leaving readers to follow Henry through his day without preconceptions. julie hakim azzam (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
A boy on the autism spectrum considers his classmates as possible friends."Henry was looking for a friend." The plot is that simple and that complicated. Although it's never specified in the text, Henry's autism can be seen in his behaviors and thoughts. He stands straight and still as the multiracial class convenes, a steady pillar amid the bustle. Henry, who presents East Asian, describes the other children in a manner that gives insight to his point of view: One student is "a tangle of colors," while another is "a thunderstorm." Initially dismissed because she likes the "Big Slide," brown-skinned Katie shares a moment with Henry over the fishbowl. They play together, and readers see Henry standing straight and steady once again but this time looking up with a smile of anticipation as he "waited at the bottom for his friend." Ink-and-watercolor illustrations interpret Henry's point of view well, giving context to his perspective. Song's style allows for small impressions and intentional gaps, like her rough hair textures and the outline of a fishbowl. It is in a state of becoming, like the burgeoning friendship.Whether on the spectrum or not, friends don't have to share everything, just enough, and this book sweetly provides. (Picture book. 3-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Henry, a young boy on the autism spectrum, would like a friend. He appreciates people who are quiet, share his sense of orderliness, and won't invade his personal space. Gilly the goldfish is quiet, but she can't really play; Vivian flashes rainbow fingernails in his face, but complains when Henry makes a rainbow of her paints; and Samuel turns Henry's perfectly aligned carpet squares into a disorderly magic carpet. Luckily, Henry notices Katie, who enjoys watching Gilly do fish things, is happy to build a block tower that excludes the triangles Henry can't bear, and loves swinging at the playground with Henry. Bailey's debut picture book allows readers to empathize with a child who, despite overt differences, has needs that are much the same as everyone else's. Song's ink-and-watercolor illustrations depict a multiethnic, play-centered school. The cartoon art includes many familiar classroom details and works well in conveying Henry's emotional frustrations. As the number of diagnosed children on the autistic spectrum increases, so does the need for informative and positive presentations such as this.--Kay Weisman Copyright 2010 Booklist
