art makes legalese a little...easier

Aspirational rights and legal systems are complicated and often dry. We Are All Born Free takes the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, admittedly a fairly comprehensible document but not all that exciting if you aren't a lawyer or activist, and makes a colorful and engaging set of rights accessible even to children. Maira Kalman, an author, illustrator and designer is currently publishing monthly columns in the New York Times Op-Extra section online about American democracy. Her quirky, matter-of-fact observations about the history and current state of the American legal system add a dimension of humanity to the supreme and beauty to the mundane.

This children's book is appropriate for human rights advocates of all ages.

Each human right enumerated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is illustrated by a different artist. The proceeds from the sale of the book go to Amnesty International.

Maira Kalman is the author and illustrator of "And the Pursuit of Happiness"
about American democracy published in the New York Times.

After a visit to the Supreme Court, and the office of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Maira Kalman thinks about law, decision-making and women breaking barriers.