Friends Beyond Measure

Fisher, an infographics contributor to the New York Times, makes her solo debut with a friendship story chronicled through charts, graphs, and maps. When narrator Ana, an inveterate "charter" portrayed with brown skin, meets white-presenting Harwin at a fair, their commonalities and unique qualities become the subject of the book's first chart, a Venn diagram that notes Ana's ADHD and interest in medical science as well as Harwin's dyslexia and appreciation of climbing trees. Subsequent spreads chronicle their deepening connection, using different kinds of visuals, each rendered in energetic pencil and marker cartooning: the x and y axis depicting tree-climbing skills are layered with the tree's trunk and limbs, and a coordinate chart shows where Ana and Harwin intersect in terms of tolerance for loud, noisy parties. Learning that Harwin is moving "really far away," Ana droops over an emotion-centric bar chart, and flowcharts the viability of being mailed to Harwin's new home. But it's possible to conceptualize probabilities as well as realities, and the book ends on a hopeful note, as the kids imagine what the future may hold in store--from virtual birthday parties to global, grown-up adventures. A glossary of charts with activities concludes this social-emotional dataviz accounting. Ages 4-8. Agent: Lara Perkins, Andrea Brown Literary. (Feb.)

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

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