Paths to Peace: People Who Changed the World (review)

This collective biography spotlights sixteen important figures who actively promoted or became icons for human rights causes or world peace, with each spread comprising symbol-laden full-page artwork and borders, a page of biographical information, and a pertinent quote. This is an intriguing topic, and Zalben's range is broad, though readers may take issue with Zalben's exact selections, since such obvious choices as Nelson Mandela, Jane Addams, and Albert Schweitzer are missing while Anne Frank and Princess Diana are included, and Menachem Begin doesn't share Anwar Sadat's entry as co-awardee of the Nobel Peace Prize. Apart from this insoluble issue, however, are more specific problems arising from the extreme brevity of the textual information, which does little more than sketch the subject's contribution, and the complexity of the artistic imagery, much of which must be explained in closing notes. The appended glossary is a helpful addition, and a bibliography which includes some children's publications may help steer readers to more comprehensive works.