It’s Me, Henry! - Hardcover

Deslauriers, Stéphanie

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1459830830 ISBN 13: 9781459830837

Publisher: Orca Book Publishers, 2022

Synopsis

Henry marches to the beat of his own green thumb in this gentle picture book about a boy on the autism spectrum.

Henry doesn't remember to raise his hand and he prefers to call plants by their proper Latin names, much to the frustration of his classmates. Most days, Henry doesn't notice how different he is from the other kids in his grade, but some days, he does. On those days, he finds refuge under the shade of the Salix babylonica (willow tree) or in the school counselor's office or at his very favorite place in the world: the local botanical gardens. When his class goes on a field trip to these botanical gardens, Henry’s knowledge of the flora and fauna shows the other kids that his unique interests are really something special.

About this title

About the Authors

Stéphanie Deslauriers is a psychoeducator who has worked with neurodivergent clientele since 2006. In 2023 she was diagnosed with Level 1 autism. She has written extensively for Format familial on Télé-Québec. Her book, Laurent, c’est moi!, was nominated for the Governor General’s Award, the Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Award and the Harry Black Youth Award. Stéphanie lives in Île-Perrot, Quebec.

Geneviève Després completed a degree in Industrial Design at the Université de Montréal but decided instead to pursue her passion for drawing. After spending a few years in Europe exploring different techniques, Geneviève returned to Quebec. For more than 20 years she has illustrated over 40 books, many of which have been translated into other languages. Geneviève uses a variety of techniques in her art and plays with texture and the transparency of different mediums to create unique images. She lives with her family on the South Shore of Montreal and spends her summers drawing inspiration from the seaside in their cottage in Les Escoumins.

Charles Simard is a Québécois editor and translator from Tiohtià꞉ke / Montréal. He works as poetry, fiction, and nonfiction editor for Talonbooks in Vancouver on Coast Salish Territory. His published work includes the essay Littérature, analyse et forme: Herbert, Tolkien, Borges, Eco (EUE, 2010) and a number of translations for Orca Book Publishers, including Elise Gravel’s The Wrench and Myriam Daguzan Bernier’s dictionary of sexuality, Naked!. As a lexicographer, he has collaborated on the making of the popular linguistic suite Antidote in its bilingual editions. He holds a PhD in literature from Université de Montréal and was a postdoctoral fellow at the City University of New York’s Graduate Center.

Reviews

Gr 2-4-The author, who has a child on the autism spectrum, writes effectively and poignantly in a first-person narration about Henry, who is fascinated by plants. He is always correct in math, but forgets to raise his hand; he calls his classmate Daisy by her botanical name, and is rebuffed; still, he wonders if the other kids in the class admire how thorough is his knowledge. Henry struggles to connect with kids his own age, and while his differences are not spelled out, readers will likely pick up on it. When his class goes on a field trip to the Botanical Garden, Henry gets a unique opportunity to put his plant knowledge to use. The book has a message that what makes you different can also make you wonderful if you have the right place to express your talents. Unfortunately, the idea that autistic children having hyperfixations that are only beneficial when they can be useful to other people is problematic. In addition, the idea that classmates who have been bullies will change as soon as the bullied one proves helpful is too facile a message. VERDICT With discussion, and some caveats, this honest look at the challenges for children on the spectrum, cheerfully illustrated, may find a place on the shelves.-Katherine Forsmanα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Edition details

• Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
• Publication date: 2022
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1459830830
• ISBN 13: 9781459830837
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Després Geneviève
• Number of pages: 32