Last Stop on Market Street

Bibliography: De la Pena, Matt. (2016). Last Stop on Market Street. Ill. by Christian Robinson. Scholastic Inc. ISBN 9780545964524

Plot Summary: The story follow CJ and his Nana as they leave church and head toward Market Street.  On the way, Nana, shows CJ how to view his surroundings in a new way.

Critical Analysis: Last Stop on Market Street is a beautiful story about appreciating what you have and seeing beyond the obvious. CJ and Nana head out of church towards an initially unknown location on Market Street.  CJ is unhappy with his circumstances: he wants to go home, he wants to take a car, he wants his own music player.  But Nana shows him the beauty in taking the bus, listening to guitar player, enjoying your surroundings and helping others.  The book does a great job of displaying diversity as there are people of different colors, backgrounds and abilities all depicted in a positive way. The intended audience is 3+, so this book probably best serves as a read-together as many of the words would be difficult for beginning readers. The illustrator uses bright, lively colors to attract the reader's attention. What the illustrations lack in texture (illustrations often lack dimension), they make up for in composition. Colors are bright and complement each other, illustrations are balanced, lines are simple but convey movement and the overall  mood. The illustrations help to convey the overall message of seeing the beautiful in your own world and actions. 

Review Excerpts: 

School Library Journal: "This is an essential addition to any library that values diversity and fresh perspective."

The Horn Book: "Last Stop on Market Street is a lovely, warm picture book, with strong and commendable themes of intergenerational friendship, building community, and finding beauty in unlikely places. "

Awards: Caldecott Medal, 2016; John Newbery Medal, 2016

Connections:

Similar Titles: Alma and How She Got Her Name, Juana Martinez-Neal; Carmela Full of Wishes, Matt de la Pena

Read aloud with grades K-2 when teaching a lesson on diversity. Have a discussion on what diversity means and what it looks like. 

(The following were borrowed from http://www.pbs.org/kcts/preciouschildren/diversity/read_activities.html)

Alike and Different (Thumbprints)  Set out white 3" x 5" cards, a black ink pad, a pen, and a magnifying glass. Ask the children to make prints of their thumbs by pressing them on the ink pad and then on the cards. Label each print with the child's name. Let children use the magnifying glass to see how the prints are alike and different. Point out that everyone has patterns on the skin of their fingers and each person's fingerprints are different from anyone else's.

Music-Ask parents to lend you recordings of music that their family enjoys. Teach the children songs and dances from different nations of the world. Children will begin to see that all people like to sing and dance, but every group has its own special ways of doing it. Talk with the children about how different music sounds: loud, soft, fast, or slow. Listen for the different instruments. Again, ask parents if they have any instruments children could listen to or try.

bR

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