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Last Stop on Market Street

Matt de la Peña

This is an exceptional example of a simple story with big implications, beautifully told and shown. On a Sunday bus ride from church with his grandma, CJ’s curiosity comes out in a series of questions. CJ’s Grandma always has a thoughtful answer, like in this excerpt:

 

“CJ looked around as he stepped off the bus.
crumbling sidewalks and broken-down doors,
graffiti-tagged windows and boarded-up stores.
He reached for his nana’s hand.
“How come it’s always so dirty over here?”
She smiled and pointed to the sky.
“Sometimes when you’re surrounded by dirt, CJ, you’re a better witness for what’s beautiful.”

 

Robinson’s vibrant and playful illustrations accentuate this theme, and remind us of Ezra Jack Keats’s classic style in “The Snowy Day.”