Book Review for Last Stop on Market Street

Book Review by Allie Davis
MLIS 5603 Literature for Children and Young Adults

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Peña, Matt De la. 2015.  Last stop on Market Street. Ill. by Christian Robinson.  New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA), 2015. ISBN 0399257748

PLOT SUMMARY
CJ is a young African-American boy who lives with his nana.  They have been to church and when they are done, they head to Market Street to serve at a shelter.  Through his experiences with a variety of people, CJ learns important lessons about life and accepting people, but he also learns about feeling life and giving back. He gives the coin he has been given by the bus driver to an artist on the bus, and he learns to find beauty in dirt, rain, and even music.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
     On a rainy day, in a bus headed to an older part of town, CJ meets the bus driver, a blind man, a tattooed man, and an artist, each with their own lessons to teach him.  CJ learns to accept people for who they are and to see and feel the things around him, including the power of music.  He discovers that beauty is all around him; he just has to look beyond what he sees with his eyes.  As CJ learns these things, the reader, too, is enveloped in the depth of the lessons he is learning, taking away with them the idea of hope, generosity, and compassion.
     The simple illustrations, done in animation, are vibrant and colorful, leading the reader to focus on the differences of the characters: tattooed, blind, and musically-inclined, all blended in a way that works towards the theme of accepting people for who they are, not what they look like. The author subtly uses imagery, similes, and personification to help CJ and the reader feel and sense life to the fullest.  The air smells like freedom and rain, showing his innocence.  Through a series of inquisitive questioning and “How comes?”, CJ begins to understand that trees are thirsty, too, and drink through straws.  The bus breathes fire and sighs. The personification helps CJ accept life and people for who and what they are.  The illustrator’s unique way of blending culture and pictures helps teach beyond just “talking” about acceptance and compassion.

AWARDS

·       2015 Publisher’s Weekly Best Book of the Year
·       2016 Nominee for North Carolina Children’s Book Award
·       2016 Newberry Award
·       2016 ALA Notable Books for Children
·       2016 Nominee for Coretta Scott King Award
·       2016 Nominee for Charlotte Zolotow Award
·       2016 Nominee for Caldecott Medal
·       2016 Nominee for Washington Children’s Choice Picture Book

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

·       Horn Book Guide, “…the exquisitely composed collage illustrations showing a glamour-free urban setting forbid a glib reading. A quietly remarkable book.” © Copyright 2015.
·       School Library Journal, “with its simple animation of Christian Robinson's blocky, expressive, and poignant illustrations, gives viewers the chance to savor every moment. It allows for a close examination of the small details of urban life-details that might be missed from a casual reading of the book itself. VERDICT This is a delightful treatment of a praiseworthy book and merits a place in any library serving children.” -Teresa Bateman, Brigadoon Elementary, Federal Way, WA © Copyright 2016
·       Publisher’s Weekly reviews from February 14, 2016

CONNECTIONS

Gather other 2016 Newberry Nominee books to read such as:
·       The War that Saved My Life, ISBN 0803740816
·       Roller Girl, ISBN 0147536553
·       Echo, ISBN 0441019242

Gather other Matt De la Peña books to read such as:

·       A Nation’s Hope, ISBN 0147510619
·       Mexican WhiteBoy, ISBN 0784838135

Use as an introduction to a transportation unit, city and street life, shelters, and guide dog units

Read also:

·       Stevenson, Robert Luis. “Rain”
·       Grant, Karima. Sofie and the City. ISBN 1590782739
·       Thompson, Kay. Eloise. ISBN 0689839901
·       Hurwitz, Johanna. New Neighbors for Nora. ISBN 0064421694