Stars: 5

Published: 01/09/25

Book: The Lights That Stay, A Picture Book That Inspires Self-Confidence and Celebrates Individuality by Cortney Renae Cino.

I loved this: the illustrations are comforting and inviting. The story is simple and encouraging. As I was reading I saw an only child, a child just not like most kids, and how this short story could resonate with them.

This likewise would make a beautiful coffee table or guest room table book.

Priceless.

This children’s book shows the reader how their inner light is unique and always shining (just like the sun). The illustrations (by Marina Saumell) were beautiful and richly detailed. I enjoyed the illustrations and story as a whole.

The one thing I wish we saw more of is the light that continues to shine through hardship. There is only one page that addresses this, making it seem as if the main character’s life is quite easy. It was clear the point of this book is “your light will still shine through hardship and every season of life) but I feel it didn’t dig deep enough on the hardship part, even for a children’s book. Overall, I would read again, though.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy

This book was truly a beautiful story with a very important message. I think every adult should read this book to every child in their life. It really was a powerful and moving story. And the illustrations were divine too!

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Very sweet book with colorful pictures for kids. Thid is a great conversation starter!

Beautifully illustrated and a beautiful gift to give and receive. The book invites to slow your pace and connect. Empowering in a soft way,

I received a copy of this eBook from netGalley for a honest review.

What a lovely look at the light that shines in all of us- how it grows and changes with us but never goes out. A beautiful story for all ages.

The Lights That Stay is sure to leave readers feeling warm, with its beautiful illustrations and even more beautiful message. Evoking hope and love, this book will gently remind children that they carry a light within them--no matter what they go through, the light will stay burning as strong as ever. Encouraging a growth mindset, this book is perfect for any child that needs a dose of confidence and inspiration!

I liked this title overall but I wasn't taken with it completely. The thought around the story is great I just didn't think it was executed well enough. I think the comparisons were not there quickly enough for the story and the images didn't capture the ideas well enough for me. I think it would be a good book for a library as it offers support for mental health.

Add this to your Amazon preorder carts right now. My daughter and I had the most special night reading this book together! It was absolutely darling. The story, the picture, the characters, the conversations to follow. Just darling!

This book is so beautifully illustrated that it took my breath away! This was such a cute story about how the light within grows and changes along with you, but a reminder that it will always be there. What I really loved about this is how I can imagine so many parents and caregivers reading this story with little ones and having a profound realization about their own inner light as well.

This book has a good message, and is not religiously based. I have no issue with religion based children’s books, but this may not be for everyone so I think it is good to note. However, this language of the book does not flow very smoothly at all.

This book has beautiful pictures and a meaningful story. This is a non-religious story about the "light" in each person which is compared to the light of the sun. This has a positive message for the good inside us all.

This is a beautifully illustrated book that would make an excellent gift for a graduate. The story is comparing the inner light of a child to the presence of the sun. It's a beautiful message that anyone would be lucky to hear.

However, I do think the writing would be a bit clunky for a younger child to read. While most children's book are written with a certain rhythm, this feels like someone speaking to a young child as they're growing up. The lack of rhyme and rhythm might be difficult for early and young readers to get through. I had to read a few of the pages a couple of times to make sure I was reading it right.

This is a beautiful little book. I would love to give it as a gift to one of my nieces as a graduation gift one day.

Disappointing. Not easy to read aloud - no flow to the language, almost sounding robotic however much expression you attempt to put into it.
The idea is lovely, execution not so much.

Thank you so much to Whimspire Books and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.

This story follows one little girls sharing about her inner light and how it glows no matter what. She can grow and change and succeed but the light will always be with her.

It was a nice read the illustrations were really beautiful to look at, they were very detailed. I liked the message of a child’s inner light, that glows as bright at the sun. It was a very beautiful message to be told. It showed just one child’s inner light who got herself a great life as she grew up.

I think it was missing something though as it told of only one child’s inner light, each child has a different path in life and I think it might have been sweeter seeing a multitude of children and how their inner light shines around them too. Not every child has an easy life, so how does their inner light shine through it? It would have added an extra something to this story.

This story itself was really sweet to read and was written so beautifully, and I really enjoyed looking at it, the people that were drawn, the houses all just looked so stunning.

This book is a work of art. The artwork is incredibly gorgeous, and I would buy it for that reason alone. The message is lovely too, though I did find some of the wording to not make the most sense. But regardless, a fantastic book that parents and kids will enjoy.

I thought that this was a beautiful book and wonderful story.

The illustrations in the book are stunning, they add so much to the book and really bright it all to life. I really enjoyed the way that the story was written, it flows beautifully and it was a pleasure to read.

It is 5 stars from me for this one - I love the messaging in the book and the positive nature - very highly recommended - a great book in self-confidence and embracing who you are

Written by Courtney Cino, “The Lights That Stay,” seems nearly perfect. The text is concise and not overly burdensome. This gentle story talks about the lifelong light that each human has in all of us—a light that we carry within ourselves from birth until our deaths.

This beautiful story is matched by the beautiful illustrations of Marina Saumell. Saumell’s artwork for this picture book is really high quality. The texture alone is brilliant, particularly in the skies that she created; her sky textures remind me of Van Gogh’s “The Starry Night.” Besides the textures, Saumell’s images were extremely detailed to the point that I could even read the notes on the sheet music. If any artist deserves accolades for illustrating a children’s book, then it should be Saumell. I particularly love how the artist showed how the inner light traveled within the child, showing images of her from youth to old age.

This book is one of the highest-quality children’s books that I’ve seen in a long, long time. I can only hope that the author-illustrator duo will create another picture book in the future. I highly recommend this book and hope to see it in libraries across the country.

I received an ARC of “The Lights That Stay,” by Courtney Renae Cino from NetGalley and Whimspire Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I am grateful to Cortney Renae Cino Whimspire Books, and Netgalley for the Digital Reader Copy I received. Here follows my thoughts on the book.

A real, feel-good story about one's inner light. A perfect little confidence booster for young readers. Although beautifully illustrated, it would have been good to see a range of children displaying their inner light. This book told of a specific Caucasian girl, who lived in a detached house with a garden, who was afforded the education to take music lessons and play her own piano, as well as wealthy and smart enough to become a doctor. This could be rather off-putting for people that come from working class backgrounds.

For the white, middle-class readers the book appears to target young girls with an affluent background. The message that one has an inner light to mirror, maybe even better, the sun is a positive message for youngsters. I love how the book subtly validates feelings and accepts that the light might not always shine bright, but it is ever present.