Book Review: Last Stop on Market Street by Matthew de la Peña and Christian Robinson

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Title: Last Stop on Market Street
Author: Matthew de la Peña
Illustrator: Christian Robinson
Publisher: G. P. Putnam's Sons
Publication Date: January 8, 2015
ISBN: 978-0399257742

PLOT SUMMARY
A young boy and his grandmother ride the bus together, and the boy laments the things he does not have. His grandmother helps him realize that he has plenty to be thankful for and seeing beauty in unconventional places.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The central conflict comes from the questions that CJ asks his grandmother. These questions are the kind that many children ask their guardians: "Why don't we have the things that the other kids and their families have?" He asks why they do not have a car. During the bus ride, he longingly watches other boys riding bikes and boys who board the bus listening to music on their headphones.

CJ also asks questions about things he finds negative. When asking his grandmother why they have to wait in the rain for the bus, she tells him the trees need water to drink, too. When he asks why they have to volunteer at the soup kitchen after church, his grandmother tells him she feels bad for the kids who do not get a chance to make friends with the people there. When CJ asks why a blind man cannot see, his grandmother replies that he can see the world with his ears. When he asks why the area around the soup kitchen is so dirty and broken down, his grandmother replies that it can help him witness what is truly beautiful. For each response, CJ seems to consider what his grandmother tells him, and even wonders how she can always find "beautiful where he never even thought to look."

It is not a preachy lesson; the story's plot is seamless and does not stop the flow to explicitly point out what the moral of the story is. Rather, CJ's questions reflect what the children reading or listening to this book have probably thought before themselves. Rather than giving explicit answers to CJ's questions, the grandmother's responses allow children and CJ to interpret an answer for themselves.

Illustrator Christian Robinson's childlike style complements the story, adding to the illusion that this book is from the perspective of a child. The shapes of characters and the setting look like they're cut out of construction paper, with details scribbled in with crayon and marker. Even collage is used, such as one page when a man's newspaper is an actual cutout of a page from a newspaper article.

While a specific culture is not mentioned, it is interesting to note that CJ and his grandmother are people of color, whereas the friend he notices in a car is white. Research has proven that people of color rely on public transit more than white people (Anderson, 2016). When CJ and his grandmother reach the soup kitchen, the characters inside are portrayed diversely, and even two characters in wheelchairs are depicted.

AWARDS
2016 Newbery Medal
2016 Caldecott Honor Book
2016 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book

REVIEW EXCERPTS
“This celebration of cross-generational bonding is a textual and artistic tour de force.”  - Kirkus, 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 of a sort less practical-minded than CJ’s; it will also have some adult readers reaching for a tissue.” - The Horn Book, 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.” - School Library Journal

“With the precision of a poet, Matt de la Peña chronicles a boy's heartwarming Sunday morning routine with his nana. Christian Robinson's uplifting palette and culturally diverse cast brightens the rainy-day backdrop.” - Shelf Awareness, starred review

CONNECTIONS
Enrichment activities: This book can be used to introduce affluent children to public transportation and the lives of people who depend on services like public transit and soup kitchens. The book can also serve representation for children who live the same lifestyle as the protagonist, CJ. The book can be used to start a discussion with children about the have and have-nots in their lives, and how to find positivity in their lifestyles.

Related books:
de la Peña, M., & Robinson, C. (2018). Carmela Full of Wishes. New York, NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons.
ISBN: 978-0399549045

Thank You, Omu! by Oge Mora
Mora, O. (2018). Thank You, Omu! New York, NY: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.
ISBN: 978-0316431248
A book about sharing and kindness. A 2019 Caldecott Honor Book and winner of the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award.

Boelts, M., & Jones, N.Z. (2009). Those Shoes. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.
ISBN: 978-0763642846
A young boy's grandmother explains "wants" and "needs" when he asks for a pair of shoes that everyone at school is wearing.

Boelts, M., & Jones, N.Z. (2018). A Bike Like Sergio's. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.
ISBN: 978-1536202953
Ruben feels like the only kid without a bike. His family does not have as much money as his friend Sergio's family.

REFERENCES
Anderson, M. (2016). Who relies on public transit in the US. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/04/07/who-relies-on-public-transit-in-the-u-s/