Picture Book Review: Last Stop on Market Street

 Picture Book Review: Last Stop on Market Street

Per SHSU Literature For Children 5360


  1. Bibliography 

de la Pena, Matt. 2015. LAST STOP ON MARKET STREET. Ill. by Christian Robinson. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc. ISBN 9780545964524


  1. Plot Summary

A young boy named C.J and his grandmother embark on an insightful adventure to Market Street. During their quest together C.J has lots of questions on what he sees and why things are the way they are. His grandmother offers clever responses with positive spins. In the beginning of the story C.J questions why he has to ride the bus and go to church unlike his friends, but with his grandmother’s help he is able to meet different people from all walks of life. Ultimately, with the help of his grandmother who always finds the positives, C.J finds the beauty in things that may not initially appear beautiful.


  1. Critical Analysis

Last Stop on Market Street does a wonderful job on highlighting different people and their communities. This picture book shows a loving grandmother with a positive perspective who guides her grandson, C.J to find the beauty in things he may not identically find beautiful. Despite the differences in transportation, housing, and community C.J learns to appreciate the world around him and how despite people's differences, we are all people. De la Pena’s writing style allows the reader to easily understand the storyline, while having imagery and metaphors throughout. The reader is able to see and feel the love and personality of Nana and C.J, while using involved vocabulary and creative writing.


Christian Robinson's illustrations appear colorful and bright, with characters coming in different colors, shapes and sizes, using a collage technique. Robinson’s art matches the writing of de la Pena wonderfully, allowing the reader to better understand the settings.


  1. Review Excerpts

New York Times Book Review: "...it's also the warmth of their generational relationship that makes this book so satisfying."


Booklist: "The celebratory warmth is irresistible, offering a picture of community that resonates with harmony and diversity."


  1. Connections

-This book can be used to model appreciation for different communities and differences in others, while using optimism to find the good in all things. 

-More by de la Pena: Milo Imagines the World, We Were Here, Mexican Whiteboy

-More by Christian Robinson: Gaston (Gaston and Friends), Antoinette (Gaston and Friends), Harlem's Little Blackbird: The Story of Florence Mills

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Culture 5 - Asian American Literature Book Reviews

Book 1: Drawing from Memory by Allen Say 1. BIBLIOGRAPHY Say, A. (2011). Drawing from memory. Scholastic Press. 2. PLOT SUMMARY In Drawing from Memory, Allen Say shares the story of his own childhood in Japan, where he dreamed of becoming a cartoonist despite his father's disapproval. At just 12 years old, he left home to study with Noro Shinpei, a famous Japanese cartoonist, becoming his apprentice while living on his own. Through a mix of photos, sketches, watercolor paintings, and comic panels, Say tells how art became his escape, his teacher, and his purpose. It’s a heartfelt memoir showing how following your passion, even when it’s scary, can shape your entire life. 3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS Drawing from Memory is children’s biography at its best. This book follows pivotal moments in Say’s childhood, focusing on his journey from a young boy in Japan during World War II to a teenager preparing to leave for America. Say’s decision to recall these moments “from memory” not only explai...
Read more

Culture 1 - International Literature Book Reviews

Image
Culture 1 - International Literature Book Reviews Book 1: The Pull of the Ocean by Jean-Claude Mourlevat 1. BIBLIOGRAPHY Mourlevat, J.-C. (2006). The pull of the ocean (Y. Maudet, Trans.). Delacorte Press. (Original work published 1999) 2. PLOT SUMMARY The Pull of the Ocean follows Yann Doutreleau, a 10-year-old boy who doesn’t speak and lives in rural France. After overhearing something terrifying, he leads his six older brothers, who are three sets of twins, on a risky escape from their abusive home, all the way toward the ocean. During each chapter the story is told from a different person’s point of view like the brothers, random strangers they meet, and even the people trying to find them. It’s a really creative way to show how everyone sees the same situation a little differently, and it gives the reader a deeper look at how strong the bond is between these brothers. Although it is written for middle schoolers, The Pull of the Ocean doesn’t shy away from tough topics like abuse, ...
Read more

Universal Design for Learning

Universal Design for Learning      After six years of teaching 5th grade reading and writing, I’ve come to understand that there’s no such thing as a “typical” learner. Every class I’ve had has had a mix of personalities, learning styles, strengths, challenges and different social economic statuses. Still, it wasn’t until I fully embraced Universal Design for Learning (UDL) that I felt like I was truly teaching every student. At first, I thought I was already being flexible by offering things like graphic organizers, and occasionally letting my students type instead of writing by hand, and providing opportunities for reading with audiobooks, but I started noticing that many of my students were not as engaged as I’d like, especially my students who struggled with reading fluency or had difficulty expressing their thoughts in writing. They were present, but they weren’t really participating. Without fully knowing I was doing it, I decided to intentionally redesign my instru...
Read more