Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 12/01/2020 *Starred Review* This picture-book biography of Zaha Hadid opens with scenes of the architect as a child, visiting local Baghdad’s mosques and palaces as well as the Sumerian wetlands, where people built floating homes amid the flowing waterways and rippling grasses. A bright student who was fascinated by construction, Hadid became a hard-working, imaginative architect in an era when few women entered the profession. She pursued her own path, guided by the dual goals of creating harmony between people and their surroundings and suggesting a sense of continuous movement and change. Despite the experience of sometimes having her designs chosen in competitions but later abandoned, she gradually gained a recognition for creating innovative, dynamic buildings, and in 2004, she won the Pritzker Prize. As an architect, Tentler-Krylov brings an abundance of understanding to her subject’s profession and the obstacles she faced. And by helping readers imagine the challenges of designing a building, she enables them to appreciate Hadid's process and achievements. Text and art work well together in portraying her forceful, flamboyant personality, her strong determination, and her brilliant architectural designs. With fluid lines and vibrant watercolor washes, the well-composed double-page scenes vividly illustrate Hadid’s life and work. A memorable introduction to a visionary architect. - Copyright 2020 Booklist.