2024 just kicked off, and Emirati youth are off to a great start. A three-year-old Emirati girl named AlMaha Rashed AlMheiri has made history by publishing two children’s stories — ‘The Flower’ and ‘Honeybee’.
Within 24 hours, she sold over 1,000 copies of both her books and became the youngest published writer in the world (female), recognised by the Guinness World Records.
The nursery student broke the record on January 7, 2024, with the official ceremony taking place later this month.
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AlMaha’s passion for storytelling and drawing led her on a creative journey. During this journey, she learned how to write and produce imaginative stories for children, accompanied by beautiful, vibrant drawings.
In both her stories, AlMaha attempts to convey the importance of environmental principles. Her mother said: “AlMaha wanted to instil the significance of ecological preservation in youngsters her age.”
Her mother further explained her interest in the environment and her eco-friendly outlook, saying, “As we visited COP28 in Dubai last November, I felt that AlMaha had a sense and spark of ideas for environmentally themed stories. After attending the conference, we truly realised the growing importance of environmental conservation and the need to educate children.”
Research by Kids Health shows that most children learn how to read and write between the ages of 6-7. AlMaha cut the road in half as she learned how to read and write at the age of 3. The young author impresses everyone she sits with as she has back-and-forth conversations with them at such a young age.
Khaleej Times spoke to her mother who said: “AlMaha is proof of the power of developing skills through reading at a very young age; her talent and her confidence made us push her to attempt the Guinness World Record.”
AlMaha comes from a family of young achievers and Guinness World Record holders. Aldhabi, her older sister, currently holds the record for being the youngest person to publish a bilingual book at the age of 7 and 360 days, while her brother has the record for being the youngest (male) to publish a book at the age of 4. Their mother says the siblings are one of the reasons why AlMaha pursued her passion and that their healthy competition makes them better.
For their mother, nurturing children’s skills and abilities is a crucial role for families. She emphasised the importance of discovering children’s talents, boosting their self-confidence, and raising awareness for the need to nurture them, enabling them to become active contributors to society, capable of shouldering responsibilities.