Yasmeen Lari, Green Architect

Marzieh Abbas is an award-winning author who enjoys learning new skills, jumping rope, sipping chai, and observing nature. She is the author of several upcoming children’s books, a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and a graduate of the Children’s Book Academy. She lives in Pakistan.Hoda Hadadi is a children's books illustrator living and working in Tehran, Iran. She has illustrated more than forty books for children and has won numerous international prizes, including the New Horizons Bologna Ragazzi Award and the Grand Prix of Belgrade.

In this eco-aware, place-oriented picture book, Abbas and Hadadi energetically capture the pioneering career of Yasmeen Lari (b. 1941), Pakistan’s first female architect...Emphatic narration drives home Lari’s impact by piling on staccato text: “Yasmeen rebuilt lives. The villagers were:/ Trained./ Equipped./ Determined.” Crinkled paper collages show the subject maturing over time as swatches layer for an affirming effect that suits an intentionally told story of thoughtful composition. — Publishers WeeklyPakistan's first professional female architect...a "great listener" and consequently a "great learner" even in childhood...An inspiring portrait of a woman whose achievements have been both literally and figuratively groundbreaking. — Kirkus ReviewsLari’s practical approach and her innovative, ecofriendly ideas are now admired throughout the world. Written with simplicity and directness, the text offers an engaging introduction to Lari’s achievements. Hadadi creates lively, colorful scenes featuring Pakistan, its buildings, and its people. An intriguing picture-book biography of a visionary architect inspired by her homeland’s resources and traditions. — BooklistBlending her love for design with her passion for history and traditional building techniques, [Yasmeen Lari] would become a leader in green building materials, combining sustainability, functionality, and beauty. When earthquakes and floods devastated Pakistani villages, Lari designed sustainable, low-cost structures that used renewable resources...and were designed to hold up to future disasters. In a straightforward text, Abbas presents key points about Lari's life, work, and beloved home country, while Hadadi's paper-collage art pops off the pages. A timeline as well as photographs of Lair and her green building projects further bring this ground-breaking architect's story to life. — Horn Book Magazine