A Friend for Henry: (Books About Making Friends, Children's Friendship Books, Autism Awareness Books for Kids) - Hardcover

Bailey, Jenn

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1452167915 ISBN 13: 9781452167916

Publisher: Chronicle Books, 2019

Synopsis

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.

About this title

About the Author:

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.

From School Library Journal:

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

About this edition

• Publisher: Chronicle Books
• Publication date: 2019
• ISBN 10: 1452167915
• ISBN 13: 9781452167916
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 36
• Illustrator: Song Mika