A cute children’s book for the younger readers. Short chapters with repeating words and nice illustrations to go along with the story. This was my first ever read from this author. Love the Asian representation and the subtle neurodiversity representation as well!

Thank you to Netgalley and Chronicle Books for providing me a digital ARC copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I like the message that this story gives about Henry. The talk about dinosaurs is fun! Great beginners chapter book.

This delightful early chapter book is about Henry, a young boy on the autism spectrum who feels nervous about a school field trip to the museum. The illustrations are soft and charming, and the text is simple and easy to read, with lots of repeated phrases that will help novice readers build competence.

The story has a satisfying plot and a pleasing resolution, and there are lots of fun moments along the way. I also like how the author portrays Henry's neurodivergence without spelling everything out on the page. The book portrays some of his autistic traits, such as sensitivity to loud noises, stimming, and fixating on a special interest, but autism is not the focus. Readers with similar traits will relate to Henry, but other readers may not even notice, and that's okay.

When I read the author's original picture book about Henry, I found it disappointing that she didn't explain his autism, because kids would need prior knowledge to understand and sympathize with his behavior, instead of thinking he was just acting up. In this book, since Henry is merely nervous and unsure, and isn't behaving disruptively, the author's approach works well. Many families with autistic kids will appreciate the subtle representation.

This story is cute and fun, and it's a great choice for anyone who is looking for fun and engaging early chapter books. This will appeal to kids who share Henry's interest in dinosaurs, and the themes in the story will be a great fit for autistic kids, and for any child who feels nervous about having new experiences.

Autistic representation, dinosaurs, field trips and clear sense of progress from on place to another, what more could a neurodivergent author want from reading a book? Trains, maybe. But in all seriousness, this book builds on what the first began and blossoms into something more. Showing Henry as a kid with a perhaps unique (if you’re allistic/not-autistic) and perhaps relatable (if you’re neurodivergent) going through and exciting decision to go on the field trip and the journey that is safe and exciting, is just perfect. A nice slice of life. While the text of the book does not find a place to label Henry, it finds ample places to show Henry’s stimming, happiness, interests, friends and world. There are so many little moments here that resonate so well with the experience of being a young autistic kid. When asked where the kids want to go first, Henry piped up with “Dinosaurs!” only he didn’t say it out loud. Who hasn’t been there? And it’s a quiet (pardon the pun) way to add such a lovely detail. There is enough exploring for kids who prefer other parts of the museum, but the reveal of the dinosaurs was rewarding, as was the emphasis on science and detail. I particularly loved the paleontology lab, another element the book did not find a way to label, but showed quiet perfectly. I could see Henry growing into a paleontologist. I look forward to Henry’s next adventure.

I just read Henry and the something new. It was age appropriate, discussing fears and expectations of visiting the museum. In addition, the concern of getting lost brought into the light the idea that when something is lost, something else is found❤️

Henry and the Something New focuses on Henry’s anxiety around a field trip. He is autistic and it deals with his feelings about whether he should go and what good and bad things could happen.

Engaging children's book about a school field trip to a museum. I liked the drawings and how the author incorporated Henry's anxiety and how he dealt with it.

I thought that Henry and the Something New was a perfect book for young readers. The book is divided into 5 easy chapters with great illustrations (by Mika Song) on every page. Nicely worded text by Jenn Bailey.

It easily reminded me of taking my 5 and 7 year old niece and nephew to the Natural History Museum in Ann Arbor this past summer.

The blurb on GoodReads indicates that Henry is on the autism spectrum; but with my first read of the book, I barely picked up on it. I noticed it a bit more with my second read of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for approving my request to read the advance read copy of Henry and the Something New in exchange for an honest review. Publication date is 19 Mar 2024.

Personally, I wish the book were titled Henry and Something New.

Henry is going on a field trip to a museum but he is a little anxious about what new sights, sounds, and experiences await him. This was a fun read for an early reader. It had short chapters, repetitive words, and eye catching illustrations that make it ideal for young audiences just getting used to chapter books. The book felt as though you were inside Henry's mind and experiencing the museum through him. As the reader we see the range of emotions Henry goes through during the course of his field trip from confusion due to a loud bus approaching or pure joy from finding the dinosaur exhibit. I love the underlying messages of the positivity of trying new things and finding the courage to speak up for ourselves.

"Lost is where you find something new"

This is a great book for young developing readers. The text had repetitive language, large size text, easy to read sight words, and beautiful illustrations. The story is enjoyable and relatable to the target audience.

I read this with my 6 year old. She enjoyed reading it and did not want to stop between chapters. Her only criticism was that “There should have been another rule. HAVE FUN!”

A nice introduction to chapter books for younger elementary readers. There are some pictures throughout the book, and not a lot of words on the page which makes it good Segway into chapter books. This would be a good book to read with a class before going on a fieldtrip to a museum.

A beginning reader's story about a school trip to the museum and one of the students, Henry, and his obsession with dinosaurs. A good book, easy to read and with illustrations to carry you through, this is a good choice for the early readers with a story they will enjoy.

This is a very cute book about a boy on a field trip. There is a lot of repetitive language, I believe by design due to the target audience age. It would be relatively easy for an early reader to understand with positive messages.

*Potential Spoilers*

This book was read as an Advanced Reader Copy provided through NetGalley.

Henry is a child who in this book experiences new emotions through a new adventure - a school field trip. When I first read it, the sentences felt short and very concise, but when I read it again from a child's point of view (the intended readers!) who experiences life like Henry, it made perfect sense and was wonderfully well put.

Jenn Bailey did such a good job in the story telling that it flowed nicely within each chapter and Mika Song so beautifully illustrated the emotions Henry was feeling throughout this new adventure.

Will definitely be purchasing a full version to read to my toddler once it's available!

"Lost is where you can find something new."

This book is cute. The language is simple and repetitive, so new readers will probably feel accomplished when trying to read it themselves.
Henry is anxious about everything, even though he is going to the museum and is hoping to see dinosaurs, which he really loves. He expresses his worries and his teacher firmly lets him know that he needs to keep following the plan.
There is a happy ending when Henry is escorted through a shortcut so he gets to see his beloved dinosaurs.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

Always a treasure rejoining Henry! Glad to see him outside of school, learning to speak up and celebrating the small joys (a lot of happy to hold inside)

Read as aunt/libraria
on behalf of autistic 5 year old nephew/patrons and shared with sis. She was curious if there are any attempts to get the Henry books into hands of autistic families and caretakers.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to see this book early!

The title and cover of this book caught my eye from the beginning. Jenn Bailey does a great job of breaking up Henry's story to help early readers better understand the story overall. I absolutely LOVED the message at the end of the book, and the affirmations of tough emotions throughout the book were great additions to normalize every day anxieties that kids may face.

The only thing that I would improve is the writing style. The story flowed, but there were some parts that were not as clear and smooth. This is normal for a children's book, of course!