Ouva Hugs a Star, a STEM children’s book for young girls

An award-winning children’s book, winning bronze in the Moonbeam’s Best First Children’s Book category. Children will love how Ouva's bedroom imaginatively leads her into space, with just a slip under the covers. Together, you and your favorite little girl, will take part in Ouva’s journey to find her first star, learning about what it means to be an astronaut, discovering space, and more. Ouva Hugs a Star has 5/5 stars on Goodreads.

Also includes a pack of stickers (x5!) to inspire young girls and enhance the experience beyond the book.

👩‍🚀 𝑶𝒖𝒗𝒂 𝑯𝒖𝒈𝒔 𝒂 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒓 𝒃𝒚 𝑴𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝑷𝒖𝒈𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒊 (@mikemikepuglielli) is a delightful and refreshing story of a little girl who wants to be an astronaut. 🚀 With rich and thoughtful illustrations, this book takes you on a space-filled adventure that reminds us that - 𝑺𝑻𝑬𝑴 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒃𝒐𝒚𝒔. 🍇 Ouva ( although not spelled exactly ) means grape in Spanish which I thought was so cute for a main character’s name. 😴 In this delightful bedtime story, we follow Ouva as she falls asleep and enters space where 𝒊𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 and self-confidence begin to unfold through her dream. 🌟 While floating in space, Ouva meets a friendly star and they travel to the moon together and make even more discoveries. 🪐Such a tender and whimsical story but we loved that it centers around a girl who dreams of being an astronaut that seems mainly occupied by boys. So sweet and highly recommend! 🙌🏼 This book also includes some back matter about space which you friends KNOW I love!

– One More Book Mama

💫 This book has it all 💫 ⭐️ Imagine or remember wanting to reach for the stars and even wondering about what they are, how they live, or wanting to be an astronaut. Ouva will definitely become an astronaut, if you ask me (or Mike), but will also inspire so many children to reach for their own stars! Whatever their stars might be (see my previous post about super powers?) and however and whatever it takes to reach them. We can do this. It is also so wonderfully illustrated that it makes you feel like you’re peacefully falling into space (with an oxygen mask) and gently swimming among stars.It is also one of our favorites, because it’s an #educationalbook and we cannot resist them!

– Froggy Kerry & Kris

Here’s a wonderful bedtime story, celebrating all the curious young minds out there and the power of imagination. About a little girl who often looks out her window at night and wonders what they’re like up close. She decided to go on an adventure and find out. Under the covers she imagined her new star suit and made the necessary preparations. Quickly finding herself in space she was delighted to meet a friendly star. The two zipped around in space together eventually encountering some astronauts on the moon 👩🏼‍🚀 they were digging holes, testing soil and driving their rover around. This was super interesting to young Ouva, eventually declaring “That’s what I want to be, an astronaut!” . All that space travel can get tiring so as young Ouva fell asleep she thought “How many other girls like me are astronauts?”I love books that inspire an interest in STEM subjects! The illustrations are excellent and overall feeling of the book is perfect for bedtime. Released by Small Giants Publishing which focuses on STEM and STEAM children’s stories that help young girl readers reimagine their futures through children’s books. Definitely a book worth picking up!

– Children’s Bookshelf

“This heartwarming bedtime book tells the story of an adventurous girl who sets off to discover things that seem usually left for boys—like being an astronaut who goes to space. In Ouva Hugs a Star, the main character Ouva decides to act on her curiosity one night and journey to space. Along the way, she meets a friend, journeys to the moon, and ends up tucking in a few stars. Ouva Hugs a Star brings STEM careers, like this, to young girls to inspire discovery, imagination, and self-confidence. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟An amazing book that explores imagination and goals. Ouva has quite the imagination and is always dreaming about some new adventures. In this book she dreams about being an astronaut and traveling to space to see the stars and visit the moon. I think it's so important to encourage your children whether it's their dreams for what they want to be or just their imaginative play - they are both equally positive places for a child's mind to be. Mike Puglielli does an amazing job at capturing a day in the life of a curious little girl with a great imagination. I absolutely loved how Ouva tucks the stars in so they can sleep well. The illustrations are stunning and bring the story to life. There's also a ton of great information about space on the last page - I love when an author adds in some facts to a phenomenal story! Great book!”

– Future Book Worms

“This sweet children’s book is a big plus for imaginative play. In Ouva Hugs a Star, Ouva dreams of going on adventures in the night sky… and she does! She snuggles down under her blankets and travels through outer space. With her explorer’s backpack, of course! She discovers that space is full of glitter… and friendly stars. Together with one special star friend, she visited the astronauts on the moon. But of course, all dreams come to an end, so Ouva tucked the stars into their beds before heading back to her own bed for sleep.

Dreams, adventures, and imagination make a winning combo in this tender book. The art is colorful and engaging.”

— Nancy Sanders, Citizen scientist, book reviewer

“Awww, what a perfect story. This is Ouva’s story, a little girl who loves adventures and her life turns upside down as the night walks in slowly. This is one of the best children’s book I have read recently, it just made me feel that Ouva is every girl who is passionate about the things they love—Ouva is just like me, what’s to learn, explore, and find new things that no one knows yet.

This book will totally help kids in understanding space and stars, and also create a sense of love for the celestial bodies. Ouva is truly inspirational and will inspire little readers. The illustrations are so so beautiful, kudos to Mike Puglielli for giving me a space tour with a fun story. I highly recommend Ouva Hugs a Star, not just for children, but for everyone.”

— Rutuja Ramteke, book reviewer

Each book of Ouva Hugs a Star comes with a set of 5 high-quality die cut stickers. The stickers included in each set are: “igniting curiosity”, Ouva badge, SGP logo (yellow, pink or green), and 2 golden stars. The stickers are a great way to spread the joy of Ouva’s journey and to enhance storytime. Thick, durable vinyl protects your stickers from scratches, water & sunlight.

Ouva Hugs a Star is 32-pages long. It includes a final page with fun facts about space, written that makes it easy for young readers to understand the concepts. Ouva Hugs a Star features beautiful digital illustrations, with unique custom drawings on each page. It is a 10”x10” hardcover children's book, with a custom artwork dust jacket.

Ouva Hugs a Star is printed in the USA using recycled materials. The book is also printed using Sustainable Forestry Initiatives, meaning the paper used in the book is recycled. In addition, Ouva Hugs a Star is printed using sustainable and nontoxic Soy Inks.

The STEM children’s book for girls, Ouva Hugs a Star, can also be purchased on Amazon. However, when you buy from Small Giants Publishing directly, the author Mike Puglielli receives more profit for each sale.