Published by Beach Lane Books

Summary:  Growing up in Iraq, Zaha Hadid loved to see patterns in nature and in her surroundings, and dreamed of turning those patterns into buildings.  She moved to London to study architecture, then, with a few friends, opened her own firm called Studio 9.  Her designs were so unusual that she had trouble convincing others that they could be built.  But she knew that the world is not a rectangle, and had the confidence to persevere.  Her determination paid off, and her unique buildings are now in cities around the world.  Zaha died in 2016, but Studio 9 lives on, continuing to make her dreams reality.  Back matter includes two pages of thumbnail sketches of the buildings mentioned in the text, identifying where they are located, a bit more biographical information, and a page of sources.  56 pages; grades K-4.

Pros:  This would be useful as a biography or an art book, maybe inspiring kids to design their own buildings from nature.  I really love Jeannette Winter’s style of art (she also illustrated The Secret Project), and am hoping that the Caldecott committee takes a look at both of her books this year.

Cons:  There were no photos of the buildings.