"The star-speckled sky,
black as only a town without streetlights could be,
leads us home.
Papa's driveway is dusty and bumpy.
But every bump, slowing us down as
if to welcome us home, tells me a story too."
When the ALA announces the winner of the 2025 Caldecott Medal on Monday next week, I will be waiting anxiously to hear their news. It is my hope that The Last Stand will be among those books chosen - as the winner, or as one of the coveted Honor books. It definitely deserves notice.
I have used Peter Reynolds' observation in previous blog posts: "great children's books are wisdom dipped in words and art". The craft of making a picture book that speaks to, teaches, and lives in our collective memory is quite the amazing feat. When we share these books at home, in school, or at the library, we offer an experience for children to help them understand how the world works and the connections they can make with their community.
This stunning book tells the story of a boy and his Papa (grandfather) and their farm stand. It is the only one left at the market, and it a story steeped in black history. They live in a rural community and provide food for their neighbors. The grandson recognizes the importance of their work as they harvest vegetables and gather eggs to sell to their regular customers. They are also kind enough to make deliveries to those who cannot make their way to the market, despite their fatigue after a long day of work.
Papa is getting older. It is harder for him to do the work; his grandson is prepared to follow in his grandfather's footsteps. His dedication to the task has him gathering everything on his own, using his bicycle and a wagon to take it all to market, set up and be ready for customers, just as his grandfather has always done. It is heartwarming to have his customers bringing special gifts of food for his grandfather to help with his healing. That's the premise for this story of family love, mentorship, and caring for community. It also offers hope that a new generation will continue the important work of those who came before them.
Turning to the illustrations: the Pumphrey brothers continue to amaze with their hand-made stamping illustrative artistry. They fully complement Mr. Eady's words by creating scenes of communal relationships, and the hard work farmers do to provide for their neighbors. Using signage, bumper stickers, and the plight of the market that once was, they convey the idea that social and financial change has impacted the community in big ways. These details will have readers returning more than once to understand the full meaning of what has happened. Don't miss the case cover. It is brilliant!
An author's note is both moving and insightful. He explains that this story is a letter of love to a way of life that is dying, and an apology to those who lost their land and their livelihood to racism and discrimination.
"This is my way of saying 'I see you.' "
No comments:
Post a Comment