Harwin (white) and Ana (brown-skinned) have been having fun together since the day they met. From making “fairy tea” with backyard ingredients to spending hours on the trampoline, their friendship has been full of creativity and compromise. Humorous and sophisticated illustrations document the girls’ activities using a range of infographics. A Venn diagram outlines their similarities and differences, a timeline shows their trick-or-treating activities on Halloween, and a pictogram depicts their careful count of Harwin’s horse collection. No chart, however, can quantify their distress and sadness when Harwin must move far away. Text bubbles and child-like drawings made with pencil, marker, and Adobe photoshop convey the heartbreak of losing a good friend, and the hopeful resolution of staying in touch and charting future adventures. A chart of charts is included at the end, with a brief description of how they convey information. (Ages 5-9)

A CCBC 2024 Choices for the Picture Books category!

A Chicago Public Library Best of the Best!

A 2023 Horn Book Best of the Year--Picture Book

"A loving tale inventively and informatively told." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"A uniquely told story that will delight all readers. Highly recommended." --School Library Journal (starred review)

"Clever, whimsical, and jam-packed with details." --The Horn Book (starred review)

"A friendship story chronicled through charts, graphs, and maps." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)

This is THE next book for fans of Mapping Sam and My Map Book! Told exclusively through charts and graphic illustrations, infographics designer Lalena Fisher explores the touching friendship of Ana and Harwin and how they work through their emotions when one friend learns the other is moving far away.

Friends Beyond Measure explores the world of infographics, including maps, diagrams, charts, timelines, and so much more! From the chart showing how to make fairy tea to the Venn diagram of the friends' personalities, every page is filled with delicious details for the reader to pore over.

Ana and Harwin's friendship has been off the charts since day one! But when Harwin learns her family is going to move far away, the duo isn't sure how their friendship can survive the move.

See how their friend-o-meters calibrate in this imaginative, heartwarming story by beloved picture book creator and infographic designer Lalena Fisher.

An ideal read-aloud for classrooms, libraries, and homeschooling, this book includes back matter that explains all about the different types of charts and graphics in the book and gives suggestions for readers to create charts of their own.

Readers will love all the fun details in this rich and visual story! And they'll engage in critical thinking while analyzing and evaluating the images.