• Age: 5 to 7
• Grade: k to 2

Read the book, download hands-on activities, follow further learning resources. Experience the story in immersive ways never done before. Visit www.arastarengineer.com!

This is a STEM book and more! An inspiring, inclusive, whimsical way to learn about computers and technology from real-life trailblazers.

Ara is a young girl who loves BIG numbers. She wants to count all the stars in the sky... but how? This is an upbeat adventure of Ara and her sidekick droid, DeeDee ("Beep!"). They use smarts and grit to solve a BIG problem and discover an amazing algorithm! A quest that takes them through a whirlwind of intriguing locations at Innovation Plex -- Data Centre, Ideas Lab, Coding Pods, and X-Space. Along the way, they encounter real-life women tech trailblazers of diverse backgrounds, including a Tenacious Troubleshooter, an Intrepid Innovator, a Code Commander, and a Prolific Problem Solver. They tinker-and-tailor, build-and-fail, launch-and-iterate, and in the end discover an amazing algorithm of success -- coding, courage, creativity, and collaboration ("Beeeeep!").

"'If she can see it, she can be it.' With this story, girls can see leaders and be inspired to become one. A book for all ages and genders!" GEENA DAVIS, FOUNDER AND CHAIR, GEENA DAVIS INSTITUTE ON GENDER IN MEDIA

Komal Singh's profile page

Komal Singh is a techie by day and a storyteller mom by night - one who loves coding and cupcakes, data crunching and day dreaming, pottery making and program planning. She was inspired to write this book when a hypothesis put forth by her 4-year old daughter stunned her: 'Engineers are Boys'. Singh is passionate about using technology as an enabler and an equalizer for all. She takes part in kids' coding clubs, sits on hackathon judge panels, and volunteers with nonprofits on technology development. Komal grew up in India and studied Computer Science at Delhi University and later moved to Canada to complete her Masters' degree in C.S from Simon Fraser University. She has worked as a software engineer with tech consulting firms and is currently an Engineering Program Manager at Google. Komal lives in Waterloo, Canada, with her husband and two little kids.

"If she can see it, she can be it.' With this story, girls can see leaders and be inspired to become one. A book for all ages and genders!" - Geena Davis, Founder and Chair, Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media

"We've always said 'If she can see it, she can be it'. With this story, girls can see leaders and be inspired to become one. A book for all ages and genders!" -Geena Davis, Founder and Chair of Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media

"Ara and her friends are more than just characters; they are models for girls and boys to follow, if they are curious about the world - and want to build a better one." -Eric Schmidt, Former Executive Chairman and CEO of Google

"Ara's story can inspire a whole new generation of girls to become engineers, coders, or computer scientists. Our world needs more girls like Ara." -Hadi Partovi, CEO of Code.org

"Stories help us understand ourselves, each other and the world around us. In a more and more technical world we need stories like Ara's to help us bring up the next generation of problem solvers." -Linda Liukas, Author of Hello Ruby series

"The world needs more girls in tech and curious, young Ara provides a delightful entry point. This book is a beautifully illustrated adventure highlighting diverse, real-life engineer role models sure to inspire future STEM stars." -Debra Sterling, CEO of GoldieBlox

"This book is beautifully drawn and supports a great cause! It is so important to encourage our young girls to become leaders in STEM fields - and this book does just that. A great bedtime story for any little engineer-to-be." -Rachel Ignotofsky, Author of Women in Science and Women in Sports

"We need to fill girls lives with images and stories of women excelling in STEM. This book shows girls there is a place for them in the tech world and that their voices matter. We will be recommending this book as a staple." -Jennifer Flanagan, President and CEO of Actua