We did not appreciate the way the text was laid out and often repeated phrases and quotes multiple times. I have a very young, beginning reader so this was all very confusing for him although beautiful to look at, and the concepts about peace and how to generate and pass it on, are so important. The artwork is also gorgeous, the way it is laid out is very interesting but not necessarily pertinent to the quote surrounding it so that was also confusing to such a small child. I think older readers who appreciate prose and inspiring quotes, would love this! It wasn’t good for us, and not at all what I expected but a beautiful book nonetheless.

A wonderful vision for mankind and a dear wish for peace on Earth. Two things make this book unique, the first is the arrangement of the illustrations. Every spread looks like a piece of stained glass. Elegant in its shapes, with each bit of "glass" showing a different scene based on the topic of that page. Most show people, but there are decorative and symbolic elements as well, such as: homes, ecosystems, and the patterns on creatures. The Earth itself is on every page. These pencil and watercolour illustrations are often separated by white strips containing famous quotes also relevant to the page. It is through the wisdom of others, like Confucious, Nelson Mandela, and Jimi Hendrix, that the author hopes to get across her message of peace. This reliance on quotes to back the relevance of the message is the other special aspect. The author's own words amount to a single sentence per page. She starts with the broad perspective of the world, narrows it down step by step until she reaches "our hearts", then does the opposite, expanding the view until we are right back at the beginning. Cities beget peace in neighbourhoods, but neighbourhoods can do the same for cities. This is the cumulative nature of peace, but it is an attitude that requires hard work to foster. Halperin's book is a reminder of the possibilities. This is the world we could live in. Her illustrations are full of diversity: different cultures, genders, ages, and abilities. It is a world where everyone receives an education, little kindness occur all the time, and people protect nature and live in green places. It is our home, and if we work together, it could become a place of harmony, respect, and peace.

This is a wonderful book for kids and adults alike. Small amount of text but big in meaning