A pile of children's books 'Cool Stuff About Iraq' book cover. Graphic illustrations of food, a palm tree, a lion, a flag, a planet and Arabic writing. The elements are arranged in a grid-like pattern with a mix of bright colours.

Cool Stuff About Iraq

Cool Stuff About Iraq is an illustrated children’s book of 15 cool facts about Iraqi culture, ancient history, iconic landmarks, food, inventions and unique phrases.

From roaring lions and floating gardens to sweet dates and smoky fish, this book is a colourful celebration of Iraq, inviting children to explore one of the world’s first civilisations.

Perfect for families with Iraqi roots, and anyone who loves discovering cool cultures from the ancient world.

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  • "جميل جداً. A book that creates beautiful memories for children from an early age."

    - Naseer Shamma (Iraqi musician and UNESCO Artist for Peace)

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  • “Congratulations - the book looks gorgeous!”

    - Mona Chalabi (Award-winning writer and illustrator)

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  • “As a father of two children born and raised here, this book touched me deeply. It captures the richness of Iraq in a way that is colourful, accessible, and full of pride. Heartfelt, educational, and beautifully presented. Thank you for creating something so meaningful.”

    - Amani Al-Sitrawi

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  • “I had no idea the wheel was invented in Iraq until I read this wonderful book to my son. This glaring gap in the market has been filled with a beautifully designed, easily digestible and genuinely fascinating book about Iraq for all children (and their parents!) to learn from.”

    - Caro

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  • “A gorgeous book for my daughter! I’ve never seen a children’s book about Iraq and was so happy to find this. Thank you.”

    - Amazon customer US

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  • “A beautifully written history of ancient Iraq, with amazing illustrations to match! Perfect for any child wanting to learn more about Iraq, and it looks amazing on the bookshelf. The first of its kind.”

    - Aiya

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Open children's book 'Cool Stuff About Iraq' with pink and green pages, text on the left with information about Mesopotamia, and colorful science and space-themed illustrations on the right about inventions.
An illustrated open children's book 'Cool Stuff About Iraq' featuring two people dressed in colourful traditional Kurdish clothing, with a red background page containing text about Kurdish culture and Nowruz celebrations.
Open book spreads from children's book 'Cool Stuff About Iraq', featuring colourful illustrated pages about Iraq, with images of palm trees, lions, and space-themed icons, along with text describing Iraq's landmarks and culture.

“Dina has identified a glaring gap in the market, and filled it with a beautifully designed, easily digestible and genuinely fascinating book about Iraq for all children (and their parents!).”

- Caro

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The story behind the book

Group of children sitting in chairs in a nursery class, with a large Iraqi flag, laid out on the floor in front of them, during a presentation about Iraq by Dina Young, author of 'Cool Stuff About Iraq'.

When I couldn’t find any representation in children’s books for my son to learn about his roots, I decided to make one myself.

As an Iraqi mum, I wanted to create something authentic, joyful and recognisable to us, not an outsider’s interpretation that is often shaped by negative headlines. Iraq is a remarkable country with a rich culture, ancient history, delicious food, kind people and creativity that has inspired the world. This deserves to be celebrated.

This book is for my son and other children like him to feel proud of their heritage and confidently share these cool facts with friends, as well as for non-Iraqi children to discover the wonders of one of the world’s first civilisations.

Dina Young and her son are looking over a colourful book titled 'Cool Stuff About Iraq'. The woman has long dark hair with some pink streaks, and the boy has curly brown hair. The grey background contrasts with the bright, illustrated book.
Dina Young (author of 'Cool Stuff About Iraq'), a woman with long brown hair, wearing a black cardigan, displays the Iraqi flag to a group of children sitting on small chairs in a nursery class, she is doing a presenation about Iraq.

About the book

Cool Stuff About Iraq is a non-fiction, illustrated children’s book of 15 cool facts about Iraqi culture, ancient history, iconic landmarks, food, inventions and unique phrases. The book is a colourful celebration of Iraq, inviting children to explore the wonders of one of the world’s first civilisations, in a way that is fun and accessible.

Author bio

Dina Young is a British-Iraqi writer and award-winning graphic designer who creates inclusive children’s books for diverse families. Her latest book, Cool Stuff About Iraq, was made for her half-Iraqi son when she couldn’t find any representation in children’s books to help him learn about his roots.

  • Title: Cool Stuff About Iraq

  • Author and Illustrator: Dina Young

  • Age range: 4-8

  • Language: English

  • ISBN: 978-1-9194796-2-0

  • Publication date: February 2026

  • Format: Hardback 210 x 210 mm, 32 pages

  • Word count: 700

  • Available from: www.dinayoung.co.uk

  • Paperback edition and worldwide shipping available from Amazon

  • Retailers can order the premium hardcover edition by emailing dinayoungdesign@gmail.com

Buy premium hardback edition (UK)
Hardback & paperback from Amazon (Worldwide)
Dina Young and her son are looking over a colourful book titled 'Cool Stuff About Iraq'. The woman has long dark hair with some pink streaks, and the boy has curly brown hair. The grey background contrasts with the bright, illustrated book.
A pile of children's books 'Cool Stuff About Iraq' book cover. Graphic illustrations of food, a palm tree, a lion, a flag, a planet and Arabic writing. The elements are arranged in a grid-like pattern with a mix of bright colours.
Open book spreads from children's book 'Cool Stuff About Iraq', featuring colourful illustrated pages about Iraq, with images of palm trees, lions, and space-themed icons, along with text describing Iraq's landmarks and culture.
Dina Young, British-Iraq Branding designer and author of 'Cool Stuff About Iraq'. A woman with dark hair in a braid, wearing a red floral dress, smiling and standing next to a glass reflection.
Dina Young (author of 'Cool Stuff About Iraq'), a woman with long brown hair, wearing a black cardigan, displays the Iraqi flag to a group of children sitting on small chairs in a nursery class, she is doing a presenation about Iraq.
Children's book 'Cool Stuff About Iraq' book cover. Graphic illustrations of food, a palm tree, a lion, a flag, a planet and Arabic writing. The elements are arranged in a grid-like pattern with a mix of bright colours.