2/25/2017 0 Comments Last Stop On Market Street2015, Written by Matt de la Peña, Illustrated by Christian Robinson Newberry Medal (2016), Caldecott Honor Book (2016), Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book (2015) Last Stop On Market Street is a contemporary picturebook about a little boy named CJ and his Nana as they navigate the city. Sounds simple enough, but there is so much going on in this little gem of a picturebook. CJ has a lot of questions, and Nana always has answers. When it rains: "How come we gotta wait for the bus in all this wet?" "Trees get thirsty too." When he sees his friend driving in a car: "Nana, how come we don't have a car?" "Boy, what do you need a car for? We've got a bus that breathes fire." When a blind man gets on the bus: "How come that man can't see?" "Boy, what do you know about seeing? Some people watch the world with their ears." CJ and Nana obviously are not wealthy, but Nana teaches CJ to see beauty in everything, especially the diversity around him in the city. The take a bus from church to the soup kitchen, and CJ learns to appreciate the little things in life, and how it feels to help others less fortunate than you. This book is a masterclass in diversity. CJ and Nana, both African American, meet all kinds of people: old, young, blind, tattooed, black, white, brown, people in wheelchairs, and many different body types. This plus the vividly colorful illustrations help bring an authentic-feeling city to life.
Last Stop On Market Street would appeal to wide variety of young readers, but especially those who live in a city. Many young African American boys in particular would find their reflection in CJ. This book is a great way to teach children how to find beauty in everything, even something so simple as a bus ride.
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