Product Description
"A loving tale inventively and informatively told." —Kirkus (starred review) "A uniquely told story that will delight all readers. Highly recommended." —School Library Journal (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 backmatter 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.
From School Library Journal
Gr 1–3—Ana and Harwin become best buds the day they meet. As in many friendships, theirs is full of adventure, imaginative play, and occasional disagreements. And as with many childhood friendships, they are certain theirs will last forever—until Harwin tells Ana her family is moving away. This sweet story is buoyed by colorful illustrations and a different chart or diagram on each page. For instance, a map of play activities at Ana's house shows that Harlow spent five hours trying to run up the crooked tree (Ana only spent one). A flow chart Ana creates for whether she can pack herself in Harlow's suitcase ends by asking, "Do I like breathing?" and concludes that she cannot, in fact, stow away. While so many diagrams could easily make the book feel cluttered, Fisher smartly uses color to delineate diagram parts and occasionally renders the background in a soft gray and white to allow the charts to stand out. Teachers will enjoy this as an easily accessible introduction to many types of charts. The first page, for instance, shows a pictorial Venn diagram of what the girls have in common. The details in the various charts reward close reading with laughable details that further highlight the girls' distinct personalities. Back matter explains the types of charts used in the book, including Venn diagrams, maps, time lines, bar charts, flow charts, and more. VERDICT A uniquely told story that will delight all readers. Highly recommended.—Lindsay Loup
Review
“A loving tale inventively and informatively told.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
About the Author
Lalena Fisher draws and writes in her backyard studio in Austin, Texas, taking breaks to coo up at the owl house where Olive the Eastern screech owl perches. After earning her MFA from Pratt Institute she (Lalena, not Olive) designed for Blue’s Clues and The Wonder Pets. She has created information graphics for The New York Times and makes fine art painting and sculpture. After hours, Lalena rocks out with her daughter as the guitar-and-drums duo The Mothermold while her husband and the dog hold their ears. Friends Beyond Measure is Lalena’s first book as a solo author-illustrator. Follow her various adventures at www.lalenalab.com.
