Zaha Hadid's Life and Work Explained for Children in New Book

A new children's book titled "The World Is Not a Rectangle: A Portrait of Architect Zaha Hadid" by American author and illustrator Jeanette Winter will be released on August 22. Published by Simon & Schuster, the book targets readers up to age 10 and uses concise text and engaging images to depict the life of Zaha Hadid, one of the most influential figures in contemporary architecture. It covers her childhood in Baghdad during the 1950s and 1960s, her education in London, her early career, and the founding of her firm, now led by Patrick Schumacher. The book avoids specialized language and employs vibrant colors and sinuous forms to convey Hadid's visionary and innovative universe, drawing inspiration from nature. It highlights her successes, criticisms, and setbacks, such as the unrealized Cardiff Bay Opera House, and emphasizes the importance of pursuing seemingly impossible dreams to break stereotypes and conventions in architecture and society. Additionally, Zaha Hadid is featured on a series of stamps depicting famous architects' buildings; the stamp shows her London 2012 Aquatics Centre, which won the British Construction Industry's Major Building Project Award and is considered a significant Olympic legacy.