For Advay Jain, now 4, of South Brunswick, New Jersey, the change in regulations about eating school lunches instead of bringing what his Mom, Sonal, packed for him, was possibly the best thing that happened to him, even if debatable.
His adjustment to the new regime inspired him to write about it, through the eyes of Dino, the dinosaur character, who officiates as Advay in the book that fetched him the Guinness World Records for “Youngest person to publish a book (male)” . He created and wrote the book at age three, and it has since sold 1,300+ copies worldwide, including in India.
Not only has local media covered his achievement but his South Brunswick Township is also preparing a formal resolution recognizing Advay and plans to present it to him in person, his parents Neeraj and Sonal Jain told Desi Talk/News India Times.
“Mac and cheese…. And broccoli” was his daycare’s school lunch, Advay tells Desi Talk in a phone interview from home. It was obvious he was not a great fan of the new diet, his voice showed it. But it was a deal he made with his mother after going hungry for days in school and telling her at night that he had gone hungry during the day and not eaten any lunch. “I like my backpack, I like my water bottle, but I don’t like the new food,” he said to her.
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Advay’s older sister Avya and mother Sonal Jain came up with an idea. Her son wanted very much to write a book and see his name on the cover, like his sister Avya, an already published author, after he saw the book. “How about eating the school food and I will get your book published?” she asked him.
“He took the deal,” and to make it more attractive an effort, the character would go by the name Dino, “because he loves dinosaurs so much,” she said. Plus, it meant that he could make the illustrations for the book too! Which child cannot draw a dinosaur?
Once the book was written and published and sold hundreds of copies, the parents applied to Guinness in February 2026, Neeraj Jain, told Desi Talk/News India Times. Guinness sent them back the instructions on how to go about applying. They submitted all the documentation to authenticate how the book was written on May 5, 2026. The reply from Guinness came 3 months later. The organization counted Advay’s age from April 23, 2022, when he was born, up to April 3, 2026, which meant he was still 3 years and 345 days old, about 20 days short of being 4. That meant he had broken the record held before his. The previous record-holder was a boy 4 years and 218 days, old, a record clearly beaten by Advay.
“My mom can again make my lunches,” Advay tells Desi Talk gleefully. He changed daycares and now enjoys his Mom’s packed lunches once again. But Dino learnt how to adapt to new foods, a lesson that Advay might carry for life. And “Ya, I feel good, happy,” about the Guinness certificate. “It t(he book) will sell more,” he feels with the Guinness certificate. Maybe he learnt a lesson in marketing as well, at this tender age.