De LaPena, M. (2015). Last Stop on Market Street. Penguin.
Summary
When children have tough questions, adults sometimes don't have the right answer to help them understand. This is not the case, however, in The Last Stop on Market Street. CJ's grandmother knows exactly what to say to help CJ understand his reality, and realized that differences can be beautiful in their own way. In her way, CJ's grandmother makes readers stop and recognize beauty in the everyday, real life instances. Without drowning readers in 'the message', De LaPena shows that sometimes you have a lot more than you realize.
A Teacher's Perspective
The final destination of their journey really makes one thankful for what they have, but yearn to stop and recognize beauty in the moments. I really think this story would be beneficial not only for small children, especially with all the more figurative moments, but for teenagers who don't have what others do.
This picture book would be ideal for a culture study, as well as a study in imagery and characterization. It would be especially beneficial to use it for inferencing--specifically with the grandmother's emotions and CJ's processing.
Want to know more?
To purchase your own copy of Last Stop on Market Street: Click here!
Here is a free teacher's guide to teaching this book!
Here is a lovely stop motion read-along with Bri Reads on Youtube: