I just think the lives of kids growing up in difficult circumstances are beautiful and worthy, too. My own experience with poverty is the single most defining piece of my childhood. I will always write about kids growing up with less. In an interview, De la Peña stated that he is fascinated by the stories of underprivileged children, and that all of his books touch on class issues. As a child growing up in New York City, he had no money and few prospects for the future.
Last stop on market street theme how to#
As De la Peña eloquently put it, “I think the best parents and guardians show their kids how to see the beautiful. And part of that is helping those who have even less.”ĭe la Peña is no stranger to the world of the underprivileged. Instead of lamenting the absence of physical possessions, Nana redirects CJ’s attention to what they do have. Nana’s continuous focus on her immediate surroundings is a powerful reminder that those who don’t have much may have something better - a deeper appreciation of the present. On more than one occasion, CJ asks Nana why they don’t have something.
Inequality is also quietly acknowledged throughout the story. ‘Some people watch the world with their ears.’ ‘Boy, what do you know about seeing?’ Nana told him. It’s an accurate portrayal of the people present in urban environments, and a refreshing change from the majority of modern children’s literature. The dialogue regarding these people feels completely natural.Ī man climbed aboard with a spotted dog. Readers will notice that disabled and disadvantaged people are interwoven with the story - a blind man, an individual in a wheelchair, a man pushing a shopping cart. The story is universal even if the characters are specific. My dream is for a book like this to be embraced not just by diverse readers, but all readers. It’s a book that features diverse characters that has nothing to do with diversity. According to author Matt de la Peña, that’s by design. (“Nana, how come we don’t got a car?”) Nana’s wise and witty responses provide CJ and readers with an unforgettable lesson in empathy, patience, and learning to see beauty where others see only ugliness.ĭiversity is a hallmark of this story, but it’s not the overriding theme. Along the way, CJ peppers Nana with difficult questions about why things are the way they are for their family, community, and city.
The duo take a bus ride through the inner city to a soup kitchen where they serve food to the homeless. The story begins when CJ, the African-American hero of the story, leaves church with his grandmother (“Nana”). This is one of the central themes in Last Stop on Market Street( public library), a stunning work of children’s literature by author Matt de la Peña and illustrator Christian Robinson that is guaranteed to be treasured for generations to come. All we have to do is open our eyes and trust our senses. In this modern age of distraction, it’s all too easy to ignore things that initially appear ugly and unusual-to lose, as the great anthropologist Loren Eiseley so elegantly put it, our “sense of awe.” Of course, the hidden beauty is still there, just waiting to be discovered. “The question is not what you look at, but what you see,” Henry David Thoreau wrote in his journal on August 5, 1851. And part of that is helping those who have even less.” “I think the best parents and guardians show their kids how to see the beautiful.
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