The illustration is amazing. The characters are wonderful and different. I love that this book while a joy to read was also educational. Kids can learn interesting things and never know they are being taught. This story also teaches that different people can see the same thing (objects) in many different ways depending on their prospective. It teaches that just because someone doesn't see things your way doesn't make them wrong & you right. If both keep open mind they can learn what the other see's and why and learn to see things from different points of view. I will be getting for my library.

Cuteness multiplied, well, powered to the nth degree actually – those words would sum up this book. But it is not just cuteness, both in the sweet story and the gorgeous illustrations; we learn so much too – the concepts of diversity, differing perspectives and learning from them, spatial reasoning, the try-try-and-try-again cartwheels, imaginations, learning math through doing, and of course the Big Digger (the Big Dipper? the Saptarishi? those seven stars?)

Love how everything comes together in the end, and once again, love the artwork in this book! While it is aimed towards young readers, anyone and everyone will surely delight in reading this book.

Overall, a MUST-READ (many times over) cuteness/learning-galore book, and a great gift for all young (and even older) readers!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital review copy of the book.

What a gorgeous little book. Exquisite illustrations and perfectly delivered book with a great subtle way of introducing math. The book is inclusive and the perfect starting point of conversations.

This is such a cute book! The intention is to help teach math skills, but this could definitely also be used as a book to teach problem solving skills and perspective taking! Usha, her sister, and her cousin all see different things in the sky until they look at the sky from each other's perspectives.

I love the resources in the back as well! Not many children's books have teaching guides attached!

ARC received from NetGalley

Usha views the world in a different way as everyone else. She loves truck and trucks is what she sees in the sky made of stars. Usha and the Big Digger is an awesome way to introduce young children to constellation and also have them decide what they see. Then discuss how everyone saw their own image. Knight goes beyond teaching the night sky but also extends to different perspectives and understanding them. Allow children to understand that there are differences in point of views. The vivid colors of the illustrations and clear simple sentence structure will allow children of all ages to enjoy this book.

Lovely little book which is perfect for developing a broader and more diverse library in a school or for an individual child. Own voices are hugely important and it was nice to see this in an accessible format for children.
Illustrations are stunning, would definitely appeal to children

Usha and the Big Digger is a really sweet story with definite educational opportunities alongside it. Not only do we get to see kids just being kids through these vibrant illustrations, we also get to take a look at the stars and explore the idea of both cultural perspective and geometric perspective. The endnotes are helpful too. The story is super cute, there's lots of learning opportunity, and the pictures are great to look at. I'm also glad we're getting to see more kidlit about subjects like math and astronomy be about girls and POC and not just white boys. Recommended for sure!

This story is beautifully well done. Sisters Usha and Aarti see different things when they look up at the stars. Aarti sees the Big Dipper whereas Usha sees the Big Digger (and cousin Gloria sees the Big Kite) this wonderful story not only shows the importance of valuing others' perspectives, it serves as an introduction to geometry, spatial relationships and astrology. Featuring Indian American characters this story serves as a celebration of diversity and would be a valued addition to any collection. The note about constellations and cultures is fascinating and is a wonderful enhancement to the story.

Special thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love the construction here. Three girls look at a constellation from different angles and see different pictures. They get quite angry when the others can't see things their way. It would be a great starting point for a project, giving kids a constellation and inviting them to interpret the shape based on different orientations.

Okay, so I LOVED this book! It was fun, beautiful and the illustrations were so captivating. And I was thrilled to see an Indian character, which we don't see too much in children's books. The beauty of the girls making stories out of the stars was heartwarming, and them learning how to see things through each other was also very beautiful. Loved it!

This picture book features vibrant, colorful illustrations, a charming main character who loves diggers, and information about constellations. The story focuses on how different people see different things in the stars, and even though the book includes considerable conflict between Usha and her sister, the book resolves happily, with different characters seeing how they can conceptualize multiple different shapes in the stars.

The author's note at the end shares more information about astronomy and about the different ways that cultures in different parts of the world have seen and conceptualized the Big Dipper. This is a great book for people who are interested in STEM books for kids, and the South Asian Indian / American element is excellent as well.

Free ARC from NetGalley.

Usha and the Big Digger is about Usha and her sister looking up at the stars and making stories about what they see. When they see the Big Digger they see totally different things, and their cousin sees a third thing! They realize it's because they are watching it in different angles - laying on the ground.

This is BEAUTIFUL! And a good story. I remember doing this with the skies in summer when i was a kid, so this is something really relatable for kids. And teaches about seeing things differently because of different perspective.

#UshaandtheBigDigger #NetGalley

Thank you to NetGalley and Charlesbridge Publishing for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. <i>Usha and the Big Digger</i> is scheduled for release on August 3rd, 2021.

Usha and the Big Digger is a fun and educational story about the stars and the importance of different perspectives. Usha’s big sister, Aarti, tries to teach Usha about the Big Dipper but Usha can’t see it! She can only see the Big Digger, seven stars that make the shape of a truck with a giant scoop attached. But then their cousin Gloria comes over and she sees a kite so all three girls are left wondering why nobody else sees their shape.

I absolutely adore Sandhya Prabhat’s illustration so much I just can’t get over how fun and cute and colorful every page is! This story has two great lessons in it: (1) learn to look at things from other perspectives and (2) if you really wanna do something don’t let a few falls discourage you.

This book is great for kids who wanna flex their brand new reading abilities, kids still learning to read, and itty bitty babies who are nowhere close to reading on their own because it’s both mentally and visually stimulating. I would definitely recommend. Plus it’s a great choice to make sure the kids in your life start off their lives with diverse bookshelves.

This book would be good for teachers or educators to ready to young children. I liked that it included three young minority girls and talked about science related subjects. It was engaging and the pictures were creative and well done. I highly recommend this book to young children.

Usha is a young girl who loves trucks. Right from the start of the book, I was silently cheering. I wish there was a book like this when I was a young girl. It is powerful for a child to see themselves represented in all forms of media. It is also powerful for young girls to see protagonists that go against terrible stereotypes. Of course girls can play with trucks and transport, just like Usha.

Usha has a big sister, Aarti, who is stargazing. She shows her the Big Dipper, which Usha sees as the Big Digger. It's wonderful that the author chose to explore this idea that there is no right and wrong, but instead encouraging Usha, Aarti & their cousin Gloria, to reflect what they can see in their own eyes. It's lovely for girls to develop a stronger interest in STEM from a younger age, and books like this will make it more accessible to a younger age group.

While I don't have a daughter, my young sons enjoyed reading this book with me. Despite the cartwheels and it only having female characters, they didn't feel it was in any way a book targeted to girls. Instead, they enjoyed seeing an Indian child as the main protagonist and the overall concept of the book. Now they've asked me to show them the Big Dipper to see what they can see like Usha.

Thank you, NetGalley and Charlesbridge, for the Advanced Review Copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I read this book at least four times.

Usha and the Big Dipper is a story of two sisters as they try to decipher the images presented in the stars. This book uses math, vivid imagery, bright colors, and striking illustrations to take the reader on a journey of imagination. Understanding that Math and Science are areas of exploration and experiments, which this book showcased. It's a great way to show just how fun and adventurous Math can be.

Thank you to NetGalley and Charlesbridge for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC!

This is a book about perspective and imagination. It makes understanding other and their viewpoint fun.

A huge thanks to the publisher for my e-ARC in exchange for a honest review .

The story follows Little Usha who doesn't see the big dipper when she looks at the sky like her sister .The book highlights perspectives and how people can see things differently. Thoroughly enjoyed this book with it's cute illustrations and strong themes.

Aarti has seen the Big Dipper in the sky. But Usha thinks it is a Big Digger. Or is it a Kite, as Gloria seems to think?

Usha and the Big Digger is a wonderful, wonderful book that teaches children the importance of spatial relationships - and of course, cartwheels - in a colourful and subtle manner. The Indian American characters were a bonus. My son and I loved the illustrations and my son was doing cartwheels all over the house with a "Flippety-Thump!"

This book made me wish I was a child with their unlimited imagination and an unquenchable thirst for knowledge.

5 stars. Would have given 10 if it were possible.

Thanks to Netgalley and Charlesbridge for the ARC.

This book is simply gorgeous -- I would buy it for the color scheme alone. BUT, it's also an adorable story about two sisters and their cousin and what they see when they look up at the stars. AND there are STEM activities in the back to extend the fun and learning.