While I get the whole concept of the pink light from a child's point of view, for me as an adult I found it to be a little confusing...

💡What's the pink light made of...is it imaginary conjured by the need for comfort?

💡Where does the pink light originate?

That aside, it is illustrated with some beautiful watercolour drawings and a story which is guaranteed to touch the heart.

I wanted so much more from this story, it is a good premise but I’m just not sure that the pink light is going to capture the audience and stick with them as is the presumable aim of the story. The illustrations are sweet and soft.

A very competent way to show a child gaining self love, when everything stops being fine and he feels lonely. He finds a pink light that he is able to literally take on board and stow away for future use – and for future sharing. The text is quietly meditative, as are many techniques the author seems to be very qualified to put on paper in future such books, I'm sure. Decent artwork brightens the page, and almost makes this feel a book you would read for pleasure, and not just for the lesson it imparts. Almost, mind – hence four stars and no further; this is a decent attempt but probably remains one of those books to be diagnosed rather than pick yourself.

Written by a teacher assistant and meditation teacher, this book offers a calm, gentle approach to helping children manage frustration and anxiety.
The idea of imagining a “pink bubble full of love” inside the heart is sweet and soothing (though, of course, real-life emotions aren’t always that easy to manage).
Still, it’s a peaceful and reassuring read that might help open a conversation about mindfulness with young kids.

The Boy and The Pink Light is an important book about emotions that range from anxiety and depression, and all in between. Finding a way to explain to young people how to express or contain their emotions is challenging. This sweet story gives a practical method to encapsulate one's loneliness and brighten the day or the event. The illustrations are wonderful, muted but filled with an attractive brightness simultaneously.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I can appreciate the meaning behind this book but it seemed a bit unrealistic. As a therapist, most times when a child or person is feeling sad, its not as simple as just thinking about a light and everything is all better. I would have liked to see the book showing kids how to overcome the sadness, how to cope etc.

The Boy and The Pink Light is about a boy who is always happy, but one day sadness gets to him. He finds a glowing pink light that gives him comfort and brings his happiness back.

I think the concept of Pink Light is quite vague and so it's open to the reader's interpretation.
The Pink Light could be a metaphor for self-love, self-trust. A reminder that he's not alone. There's love somewhere out there, and mostly the one inside of his heart.

"The boy kept his eyes closed and imagined the Pink Light shining in his heart."

I loved the illustration style and the colors used. Watercolor brings a soft welcoming touch to the book.

It could have been a better story if we had a less vague narrative, if we had been shown why the boy was sad, and what the pink light is actually. I think the message gets lost because the story is too vague.

Initially I was excited to read a story about helping children navigate feelings. But, this book fell short. The book focuses mainly on one boy who suddenly goes from lighthearted and happy to sad and confused. No explanation is given for either set of feelings. Other children are only depicted twice. Overall, I was disappointed.
I did look into the website provided at the end of the book. The pink light is a part of the Ishayas Monks practice. It is described as being a part of mindfulness and meditation. But, none of that was provided in the tale. I would not have known of this connection if I had not looked into it further. The story fails to provide full representation and connection to this piece of its roots.


Illustrations:
I like watercolor based illustrations. But, there were missed opportunities to utilized these to convey more emotion in the story. For example if once the boy began to experience sadness, the pages could consistently have a one color or theme of background. When the boy first sees the pink light, everything else is dark (navy blue tones), the next page is white. The illustration is only a third of the page. The sadness would have been better conveyed if the background had been similar in color to the page with the full illustration.


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Website

“A Mindful Choice.” The bright path. https://www.thebrightpath.com/a-mindful-choice/. Accessed 27 July 2025.

Mayra Clay's The Boy and the Pink Light is a radiant and deeply impactful story that offers young readers a beautiful lesson in emotional resilience and the power of sharing joy. This charming book introduces us to a young boy who finds himself feeling sad, lonely, and unsettled. His world begins to change when he discovers a loving, comforting pink ball of light.

This luminous light quickly becomes a source of emotional support for the boy, eventually integrating into his very being. With his newfound inner glow, the boy carries the pink light with him wherever he goes, radiating its warmth and happiness to everyone he encounters.

Clay's narrative is a wonderful tool for young readers, gently teaching them to embrace the love and inner strength within themselves to navigate life's inevitable challenges. It also beautifully illustrates a profound truth: when you share your own inner light, the joy it brings extends to those around you, creating a ripple effect of happiness.

The watercolor illustrations in the book are particularly noteworthy; they are vibrant, alive, and brimming with fun, perfectly complementing the story's uplifting message. I especially loved how the narrative is crafted to make such an important life lesson accessible and understandable for young minds.

The Boy and the Pink Light is more than just a children's book; it's a valuable resource. I would not only recommend it enthusiastically to parents, grandparents, and young readers but also strongly encourage schools to keep a copy in their libraries. It's an essential read for fostering emotional intelligence and a sense of community in children.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy!!

Author Mayra Clay's whimsy, magical book explores how young children can navigate anxiety and loneliness by visualizing a pink light that lives inside them. Unable to understand the sudden onset of an inexplicable sadness, the unnamed little protagonist encounters a subliminal pink illumination that changes his world.

The hand-drawn, watercolor illustrations by Line Anderson are pretty and can also serve as conversation starters. Children can engage with the images, describing what they see, and in doing so, begin to articulate their own feelings and build both emotional and linguistic vocabulary.

The final illustration, accompanied with the line 'Because he was full of love,' is my absolute favorite--I’d turn it into a wall mural if I could! Could almost hear Pam Bricker from Thievery Corporation singing:

"Receiving love from everywhere,
Our fear dissolving into air."

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC copy in exchange of an honest review.

It's a great book for children and for parents who want to their children, that sometimes you just feel sad. But I think it still would be hard to explain to children that a positive mindset can lead to positive outcomes without them thinking they should just generally stop feeling sad and I think there are books I would rather recommend than this.

Still the book is lovely illustrated and like the boy, the fox,the horse and the mole, I think it's an amazing book to gift to a friend who has a hard time.

I loved this book. The watercolour artwork is gorgeous and the author provides caregivers an easy and gentle tool for helping their little ones deal with confusing feelings.

I realize it's not a book for everyone. I'm a long-time meditator and yoga practitioner myself, so I'm very comfortable with the idea of universal light and energy (those words aren't used in the book), but obviously, not everyone is.

If the practice of visualizing light and love in your heart appeals to you, then you'll very much appreciate this book.

It's the perfect little story to read to your child as a first step in teaching them that they have the power to control their own feelings.

I'm sure children will find this uplifting book immensely appealing -- who doesn't want to spend their day in an imaginary bubble of pink light?

I highly recommend The Boy and the Pink Light to interested parents and grand-parents as it helps children express and cope with difficult feelings, as well as building emotional resilience.

The illustrations in THE BOY AND THE PINK LIGHT are utterly gorgeous. Simple yet evocative. I absolutely adore this art style.
The story itself is okay, though I must admit it didn’t deliver enough for me. It’s very simplistic and doesn’t add anything new. As much as I love the pictures themselves, the message feels a little too “If you’re sad, you just gotta be positive,” instead of actually processing the sadness.

Thank you to NetGalley and Literally PR Ltd. for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely lovely.
The pink light is a great visual aid for children who struggle with their emotions and I'm planning to use it with my son.
I'll also be recommending it to my friends who have kids. And possibly my parents since they need help in that department.

The Boy and the Pink Light is an absolutely stunning illustrated lesson in finding your inner joy and love. This book is again, gorgeous visually, and has a wonderful message, but is short to the point that it almost feels like a greeting card rather than a full story book with a beginning, middle and end. It is lovely, but could use a bit more textual fleshing out in my opinion. A wonderful addition to a library collection about finding your inner peace and light, and being able to share that lesson with others.

This is the story of a young boy who just can't seem to get over his deep, sudden sadness. When he comes across a magically vibrant, bright pink light, he soon discovers that allowing it to fill his heart will help comfort and sustain him, even when he can't see it!

This is simple enough for kiddos to understand, but powerful enough to remind adults that we, too, can always call on our inner light. Beautifully illustrated and deeply resounding in its message!

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.