Last Stop on Market Street

Title: Last Stop on Market Street

Author: Matt de la Peña

Illustrator: Christian Robinson

Publisher: Penguin Books

Publication Year: 2015

Professional Source: My pastor at church

Genre (and subcategory, if appropriate): Contemporary Tales (realistic fiction)

Audience: Children

Awards: Newberry Medal, Coretta Scott King Honor, Caldecott Honor

Last Stop on Market Street is the story of a little boy and his grandmother as they travel through the city on their way to a soup kitchen. CJ is an observant, fun-loving, good-natured boy. Unfortunately though, in this story he has the tendency to focus on many of the negative aspects of his day, as children sometimes do. It is clear that CJ does not mean to be negative, but the questions and statements he makes show that he is curious about why things are not better or why his situation is not different. For example, as CJ and his grandmother walk down the street, he says to his Grandmother, “‘How come we gotta wait for the bus in all this wet?’” (3) Later, he asks, “‘Nana, how come we don’t got a car?’”(5) And then on the bus, he says, “‘Sure wish I had one of those,’” (15) as he watches two boys listen to an iPod. This makes CJ relatable to children reading the story and adults who read the tale and look back on their childhood.

Adults will be able to pick up on the subtle, yet important commentaries about the differences between different races and social classes. When CJ asks his grandmother why they do not own a car like his friend Colby, children will likely focus on the car, while adults will notice that the people in the car are White while CJ and his grandmother are Black. These quiet examples of diversity are prevalent throughout all of the illustrations. The simple cutout art style is appealing to children because it is colorful and looks similar to what a child would create. The style is appealing to adults because it makes it easier to spot those kinds of diverse details. It has a very flat appearance, thereby literally and figuratively laying the differences between people out flat for everyone to see. And those differences are praised because they are a part of the human experience. People of different races and classes are interacting with each other now more than ever before, especially in a city like the one where the story is set.

The most prevalent themes in this story is the importance of showing kindness to others and noticing the beauty around you. This concept and the wisdom of CJ’s grandmother is emphasized by the language of the narration. It contains simple vocabulary, but is full of beautiful imagery. For example, at the opening of the book, CJ and his grandmother exit the church and step outside to air that “smelled like rain, which freckled CJ’s shirt and dripped down his nose.” (2) This imagery brings extra beauty to the pictures themselves as readers are able to notice details past the ones provided by the words themselves.

CJ as a character fits the H&T model of the developing child. Readers can enjoy watching him interact with his grandmother as he learns to appreciate what he has around him. Material objects are not the most important things in life. With a little imagination and optimism, beautiful things can be found anywhere—even in a rainy, dirty city.