Five-year-old author with ties to Bay Ridge on her way to stardom

She’s published two books and she’s only five years old!

To say that young author Ariana Jalia is a rising star would be an understatement. The second grader not only taught herself to read at two, but wrote and drew her first book, Mommy B and Me at the age of three.

“It’s my hope that my stories inspire children to read, imagine and write their own stories,” she said when discussing the impact of her stories. “It was fun because I got to write all of these characters and as I’m writing the book, they come alive. I taught myself how to write. It wasn’t hard. I learned to do it on my own and I want to keep doing it because it was so amazing.”

This phenomenal talent’s first book is about her blanket, which she named “B.”  The book’s drawings also play a big role. “I love to draw. I did all the illustrations,” she said. “I wrote the story about that picture and my mom helped put it together on the computer but I did the drawing and animation.”

Jalia also found inspiration from her friends and family. “It’s great because I love to see the characters come to life,” she said as the stories are based on her friends and family.

Shortly after, Jalia wrote her second and recently published book, AJ’s Birthday Surprise, which was dedicated to her friends.

As any great writer, Jalia loves to read. “I read a lot. My favorite book is Germs! Germs! Germs!” she said. “I love the book because it’s about germs and I love science because you could make potions, there are fun activities and it’s great to learn.”

One of the highlights in Jalia’s very young career was a book signing in Manhattan. “I read the book to awesome strangers and friends,” she recalled. “People really enjoyed the reading and a lot of them bought the book. It made me feel so good. It was just amazing.”

Although Jalia has already achieved impressive success, her ambitions don’t stop with just her two books. She plans to expand her company My SunShine Magic, with a vision is to share her imagination through the stories and adventures. “I plan to build my company by writing six more books in the series and also create an animation series,” she said.

Jalia’s mother Dalli Simmons is both thrilled and amazed by her daughter’s progress. “I’m so incredibly proud of her,” she said. “Every day I wake up and she amazes me that much more. There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t just look at her in awe because when you talk to her, you forget that she’s only five because she has these ideas. Sometime I have to pinch myself.”

Her mom has witnessed Jalia’s wonder and curiosity through the years. “She wakes up and has that look in her eyes that she’s so hungry to learn and explore the world,” Simmons said. “She understands how to create characters and they become alive to her.”

But what her mother admires about her rising star the most are her generosity and kindness. “Her birthday is in September so she wanted to do something special for her friends for her own birthday instead of the other way around,” Simmons said. “So she wrote the book for her friends to celebrate their friendship. She has incredible heart and this understanding that you give back to your friends.”

The last line of the second book is, “Friendship magic is the best magic of all.”

“When she said that, I said how do you know that? You’re five,” Simmons said. “Some adults never learn that.”

Although she currently lives in Manhattan with her family, Jalia frequently visits her godfather, Bay Ridge resident Gary Kane, a teacher at P.S. 101, 2360 Benson Avenue where her books are on display. She is slated to do a book signing in Brooklyn’s ToyMax, 104 West End Avenue. For more information visit www.mysunshinemagic.com.