“Engineers are boys.”

What do you do when your 4 year-old daughter proclaims this? Start a passion project, collaborate with your peers, and publish a children’s picture book to bust that bias.

I wrote “Ara the Star Engineer” to inspire young kids to explore the magic of STEM. And it took a village to do it. Along with many other Googlers who shared my determination, we came up with an inspiring, inclusive and whimsical way to learn about computers and technology from real-life Google trailblazers of diverse backgrounds: Diane Tang, Marian Croak, Parisa Tabriz and Kripa Krishnan.

“Ara the Star Engineer” will be released on October 11, in celebration of the International Day of the Girl Child, and book sales proceeds will be donated to STEM nonprofits. Check out the trailer and preorder the book at www.arastarengineer.com.