Last Stop on Market Street
Last Stop on Market Street book cover

Last Stop on Market Street

Hardcover – Picture Book, January 8, 2015

by
Price
$11.39
Format
Hardcover
Pages
32
Publisher
G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-0399257742
Dimensions
8.94 x 0.38 x 10.81 inches
Weight
13.8 ounces

Description

From School Library Journal APPRECIATING DIVERSITY; PERSPECTIVE-TAKING; SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT Praise for Last Stop on Market Street : #1 New York Times Bestseller USA Today Bestseller Winner of the Newbery Medal A Caldecott Honor Book A Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book A New York Times Notable Children’s Book of the Year A Wall Street Journal Best Book of the Year An NPR Best Book of the Year The Huffington Post Best Overall Picture Book of the Year A Boston Globe Best Book of the Year A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year A Horn Book Best Book of the Year A Chicago Public Library Best Book of the Year A New York Public Library 100 Books for Reading & Sharing Pick A Miami Herald Best Children’s Book of the Year A Raleigh News & Observer Best Children’s Book of the Year An Atlanta Parent Best Book of the Year “It’s also the warmth of their intergenerational relationship that will make this book so satisfying, for both young readers and the adults sharing it with them.” — The New York Times “That material poverty need not mean spiritual or imaginative poverty becomes beautifully clear in the quietly moving pages of ‘Last Stop on Market Street,’ a picture book by Matt de la Peña filled with Christian Robinson’s vibrant naïf illustrations.” — The Wall Street Journal “Matt de la Peña’s warmhearted story isxa0musical in its cadences . . . Christian Robinson’s angular, brightxa0illustrations are energetic and vibrant . . . [A] celebration of the joys of service, the gifts of grandmothers and the tenderness that the city can contain.” — The Washington Post “The sharp illustrations—in bold, and cheerful primaries—get CJ’s restless energy and curious posturesxa0exactly right. The voices of CJ and his grandmother carry the story along in subtle point and counterpointxa0so that at this book’s quiet close you feel like you’ve been listening to a song.” — The Boston Globe ★ “This celebration of cross-generational bonding is a textual and artistic tour de force.” — Kirkus Reviews , starred review ★ “Like still waters, de la Peña and Robinson’s story runs deep. It finds beauty in unexpected places, explores the difference between what’s fleeting and what lasts, acknowledges inequality, and testifies to the love shared by an African-American boy and his grandmother.” — Publishers Weekly , starred review ★ “De la Peña and Robinson here are carrying on for Ezra Jack Keats in spirit and visual style. This quietly remarkable book will likely inspire questions . . . It will also have some adult readers reaching for a tissue.” — The Horn Book , starred review ★ “With the precision of a poet, Matt de la Peña chronicles a boy's heartwarming Sunday morning routine with his nana.xa0Christian Robinson's uplifting palette and culturally diverse cast brightens the rainy-day backdrop.” — Shelf Awareness , starred review “The urban setting is truly reflective, showing people with different skin colors, body types, abilities, ages, and classes in a natural and authentic manner . . . A lovely title.” — School Library Journal “It’s not often that you see class addressed in picture books in ways that are subtle and seamless, but Last Stop on Market Street , the affectionate story of a young boy and his grandmother, does just that . . . This ode to gratitude is 2015’s first must-read picture book.” — BookPage “If Robinson doesn't win this year's Caldecott, then next year could be the one with his name on it. His remarkable Last Stop on Market Street (with Matt de la Peña), is an early favorite for the best picture book of 2015.” — The Huffington Post "Bright colors and streamlined shapes keep the urban setting and its denizens cheerful, emphasizing the positive message.” — The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books “This story is full of figurative language and the art provides a distinct contemporary feel to support this urban story.” — School Library Connection Matt de la Peña is the Newbery Medal–winning author of Last Stop on Market Street . He is also the author of the award-winning picture books Carmela Full of Wishes , Love , and A Nation’s Hope: The Story of Boxing Legend Joe Louis , and seven critically acclaimed young adult novels. Matt teaches creative writing and visits schools and colleges throughout the country. You can visit Matt at mattdelapena.com, or on Twitter and Instagram @mattdelapena. Christian Robinson received a Caldecott Honor and a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor for his art in Last Stop on Market Street . He is the author and illustrator of the picture books Another and You Matter , and he has illustrated many more, including Carmela Full of Wishes , the Gaston and Friends series, School’s First Day of School , and The Smallest Girl in the Smallest Grade . You can visit Christian at theartoffun.com, or follow him on Twitter @theartoffunnews and on Instagram @theartoffun. Read more

Features & Highlights

  • #1
  • New York Times
  • Bestseller
  • A
  • USA Today
  • Bestseller
  • Winner of the Newbery Medal
  • A Caldecott Honor Book
  • A Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book
  • This award-winning modern classic—a must-have for every child’s home library—is an inclusive ode to kindness, empathy, gratitude, and finding joy in unexpected places, and
  • celebrates the special bond between a curious young boy and his loving grandmother.
  • Every Sunday after church, CJ and his grandma ride the bus across town. But today, CJ wonders why they don’t own a car like his friend Colby. Why doesn’t he have an iPod like the boys on the bus? How come they always have to get off in the dirty part of town? Each question is met with an encouraging answer from grandma, who helps him see the beauty—and fun—in their routine and the world around them. This energetic ride through a bustling city highlights the wonderful perspective only grandparent and grandchild can share, and comes to life through Matt de la Peña’s vibrant text and Christian Robinson’s radiant illustrations.

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
60%
(2.2K)
★★★★
25%
(928)
★★★
15%
(557)
★★
7%
(260)
★
-7%
(-261)

Most Helpful Reviews

✓ Verified Purchase

Wonderful book for many reasons

This is a really nice book. For parents out there to write a negative review because of how this grandmother and grandson speak is, to my mind, quite ridiculous. Aren't we, as parents, supposed to raise children to become aware of others in their world who may not look exactly like them? Who may not talk exactly like them? Who may not live exactly like them? This book does a really nice job of presenting a loving family living in the city of San Francisco and also has a very powerful lesson about giving back. What more could a father (me) or mother ask for in terms of an appropriate and loving book for their pre-schooler? I found it not only a charming story but a great vehicle for opening some doors into some important discussions. My daughter loves it and I couldn't recommend it enough.
334 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

A Must for Every Library

It is so rare to find a book with a POC protagonist, especially in children's books. The story is of a boy and his grandmother who take the bus after church (religion is not part of this you just know they came out of a church building) on a Sunday morning. The little boy is not happy about taking the bus. He wants to ride in a car to their destination. On the bus, he meets and sees lots of different and unique people. Then finally they get the last stop, Market Street. The last stop is a neighborhood that's not so nice, but his grandmother tells him to look past the dirt and find the things that are beautiful. Eventually, they make it to their destination, a soup kitchen, where they meet and serve the people they see every Sunday. Annoyed as he was, the little boy is now grateful and glad that they came.

I like this story for one simple reason, it reminds me of all the adventures I took with my great-grandmother on the bus to the library, museum, downtown, and church. Usually on Sundays, it was always me and her. To see that relationship manifested into a book was such a joy when I discovered it. I bought this book for my son who I now take to the library, museum, downtown, and church. Albeit, we usually travel by car, but every once and a while, we will actually take the bus because of that unique experience I had with my own grandmother. I wish the lesson of being thankful for what you have and helping others and seeing the good in things when it looks bad on the surface wasn't so nuanced. That is why I only gave four stars, but other than that, it is a superb book. It is really is a must for ALL home libraries whether you are a POC or not.
110 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Poor choice of book for a 5 year old

This is being returned.

We live in the Bay Area and I bought this for my 5 year old son. I love the concept - SF has such a massive wealth divide and it is great to remind him that people are different.

Maybe I'm being short-sighted, but I just can't bring myself to read it to him. The English, spoken by the boy, is terrible and I don't want my son to pick up such bad habits.
"Nana, how come we don't got a car?"
and
"Miguel and Colby never have to go nowhere".

Maybe it is representative of the way such a child would speak however I don't think it teaches kids a good lesson. 2 wrongs don't make a right.
47 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Terrible book!

I bought this book without much scrutiny based on the NPR profile and the fact that it reflected an experience that my son has frequently been through with his grandmother. Unfortunately, I didn't realize that in reading this book to my son, I would have to either translate the dialogue into correct English, or fill my son's impressionable mind with grammatically incorrect and frequently nonsensical sentences. I don't think there's a place in children's literature for this kind of crap; there's nothing cultural or "black" or "urban" about bad English; it's just a sign of ignorance and lack of educational opportunities. I'll go through the trouble to send this book back just to get out of circulation; I wouldn't even want to give it to Goodwill.
40 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Good message, unacceptable grammar

I am returning this book. The message is good, however the grammar is incorrect to the point that we would not read it to our kids.
39 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Now This Is What a Picture Book Should Be!

Picture books are designed to be equal parts text and art--where both come together to create something bigger and better than the sum of its parts. Few picture books today achieve that goal; most focus primarily on the art and that one joke/surprise at the end. Enter LAST STOP ON MARKET STREET. This picture book is the perfect example of what a picture book should be. The beautifully-written and poignant text by Matt de la Pena and the evocative illustrations by Christian Robinson (which remind me of my great love for Ezra Jack Keats' art) capture a world few picture books enter (but should). While de la Pena is better known for his YA books, I hope he continues creating picture books that elevate the format. Congrats to author and illustrator.
39 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Seeing beauty everywhere

Summary: CJ and his nana have a Sunday morning routine. After church they walk to the bus stop, board the bus, and take a ride. The book follows them on their bus ride one Sunday. CJ wishes he didn’t have to go. He’s envious of his friends who have cars, and who get to go home after church. But every time he complains, his nana points out all the good parts of their day. The rain is giving the thirsty trees a drink. The bus breathes fire and the friendly bus driver can pull a coin out of CJ’s ear. The dirty city just makes the rainbow in the sky seem more beautiful. By the time they climb off the bus, CJ is glad to be going to the soup kitchen with Nana to help serve the friends who look forward to seeing them every week.

Pros: The text is brief, but the writing is beautifully descriptive (“The outside air smelled like freedom, but it also smelled like rain, which freckled CJ’s shirt and dripped down his nose.”). Nana is an inspiring character who gently points out the good in everything without being annoying.

Cons: The guy with the tattoos really should give up his seat on the bus to Nana.
31 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Full of stereotypes

This book contains every stereotype that I can think of--broken English, bad neighborhoods, old buses, and the list goes on.
Additionally, the 'nana' sounds demeaning and abrupt. She does not stop to give the child a meaningful and thoughtful answer; just a bunch of one liners. I would not read this book to children to elevate their sense of gratitude or sense of self. There are far more positive ways in books to convey that message.
30 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Tries to send good message; ends up racially insensitive

This book depicts a grandmother and grandson. They speak English that is grammatically incorrect in terms of traditional English, and the grandma is teaching the boy to, essentially, see the beauty in his economically impoverished life. This is a great message, to put emotional riches over tangible ones. Here is the problem in my view: it could too easily be seen as "be OK with social injustice, child" As too many black Americans live in poverty due to generational social injustice, I believe this message is a dangerous one for black and white kids alike...
28 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

this book makes me ache in a good way

this book makes me ache in a good way. living in a rural, remote setting, the idea of public transportation is in itself enough to ignite my imagination in this book. we all need cars where my grandsons live and so this book right away becomes a foreign adventure. and what an adventure! with a grandmother who views the world poetically and with a deep sense of humanity. this book embraces the love between generations all the while it also delivers an important message about caring for others beyond our immediate family and to see everyone as an extension of our family. i wish i had had this book in my life when i was a young child.
26 people found this helpful

Related Books