2016 Newbery winner, Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña and illustrated by Christian Robinson is a beautiful picture book about CJ and his grandmother’s trip on the bus to serve at a soup kitchen. CJ is not thrilled about the rain, or having to take the bus, or not having headphones for music, or how dirty everything is, or having to go to the soup kitchen at all. But Nana takes it all in stride, seeing beauty and pointing it out to CJ, making him feel like he might be the luckiest boy in the world to be taking this trip, at this moment, surrounded by these people.
What I liked. I love the whole feel of this story. I love that CJ is leaving church to go serve at a soup kitchen. I love how Nana shows him how to see the inconvenience of the rain and of taking the bus as seeing beauty in nature and community on the bus. I love the music and the warmth on the bus. Somehow CJ’s grandma comes across as so sincerely joyful, not belittling CJ’s feelings, but inviting him instead to see what’s really around him. It’s what we all hope as a parent that we would be able to do, especially when our kids are grumpy.
What was interesting / limitations: Length is the obviously remarkable thing with this Newbery. It’s incredibly short, with less than 500 words. (This review is longer!) Now, I don’t think Matt de le Pena set out to write a Newbery. I think he set out to write an excellent picture book, and he wrote an excellent picture book. It’s really well written, and compelling. My kindergartener loves this book, and he can read it aloud (although I don’t think he really “gets” it).
The question is, is a short picture book eligible for the Newbery? Traditionally, Newberies have been longer books. (Sometimes very long ones, like the first Newbery that came in at over 500 pages.) But the actual wording of the Newbery doesn’t have any length specifications: It is given “for the most distinguished American children’s book published the previous year.” So technically all books for children could be eligible.
My favorite books are middle grade chapter books, so I am biased towards them, and biased towards wanting the Newbery to be an award for middle grade chapter books. I also love picture books. Personally, I think that there should be a separate award for the writers of picture books. Not because this book didn’t deserve to be honored and awarded and celebrated, but because I can think of the hundreds of well-crafted, beautifully written children’s picture books of the last century that The Last Stop on Market Street joins that have not been honored. I want more awards for more kinds of books, including the writers of picture books! (Currently the ALA has Batchelder Award (translated children’s book), Belpré Award (best book by a Latino/a author), Caldecott Medal (best illustrated), Children’s Literature Legacy Award (CLLA) (best author/illustrator that’s had a long term impact) Geisel Award (best beginning reader), Odyssey Award (best audio book), and the Sibert Medal (best non-fiction). There are also a number of related awards. )
Similarity to other Newbery winners. In terms of being a picture book, really only The Cat Who Went to Heaven and A Visit to William Blake’s Inn (which also won a Caldecott Honor), although there is a really beautifully illustrated version of Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village which is similar; however, I think that version might have been released after the award had already been given.
In terms of length, the next shortest book after The Last Stop on Market Street is Joyful Noise which has less than 3k by my rough count, but is still about five times longer than Last Stop. (If you are interested in the breakdown of the other short books: The Matchlock Gun <6K Sarah, Plain and Tall <9k, The Cat Who Went to Heaven<12k, Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village<13k, The Whipping Boy <14k, The White Stag<15k, The Crossover<17k, Missing May<18k, Dear Mr. Henshaw<19k, and then Call it Courage, Out of the Dust, and Daniel Boone <20k. Most of the book have word counts between 20k and 80k. There is only one over 90K: very first one: The Story of Mankind which is over 170k. )
What it teaches me as a writer. I think the power of such strong emotions (CJ’s annoyance and his grandmother’s joy) told in such a short piece, but with a kind of authenticity and honest transformation of CJ is remarkable. Obviously, if the book were ten or a hundred times longer like most other Newberies that emotional journey and relationship would be developed in a different way, and would take much longer and more words. But I’m so impressed by the power of the short story to burst in your mind like chocolate covered cherry: rich and sweet and bright and quick.
Have you read The Last Stop on Market Street? What are your favorite beautifully written short picture books?
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