Best Picture Books of The Decade: Last Stop on Market Street & Love by Matt de la Pena

Previously in our “Best Picture Books of The Decade” article series, we highlighted Jon Klassen’s Hat Trilogy

Matt De La Pena talked about picture books last week on  NPR’s All Things Considered.

This is no surprise because he authored two of the other best picture books of the decade with “Last Stop on Market Street” and “Love.”

Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Pena and illustrated by Christian Robinson

When I was a little kid I used to hop on 71 Bus on Saturday mornings with my mom when she would volunteer at Taxiarchae Greek Orthodox Church in Watertown. I always loved riding buses as a little kid and remember looking at the window as we passed streets by and all the people on the bus who sometimes became part of my life. For instance, there was this man who I only knew as “Howdy Guy” because whenever me and my mom saw him on the bus he would always say Howdy and then we would say howdy back which is not something we would ever say to anyone else. Being on the bus or a train is way to connect young children to the community and vice versa which is something Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu has discussed. “Last Stop on Market Street” captures the magic of those city bus rides were children meet other people around them and see the neighborhoods in the city they live in. But the book is so much more than that. Early on we meet CJ and his Nana as they walk from church to the bus stop in the rain and when CJ comments on walking in the rain, his Nana lets him know that trees get thirsty too. This shows how just simply walking outside can build children’s connection and understanding of the environment. CJ also asks Nana about not having a car which hit home for me growing up without a car and seeing all my friends get shuttled along to different places as I would always walk to various bus stops with my family to get to places. On the bus CJ and see, meet, and interact  a variety of characters on the bus including a musician, blind man, the sunglass man and Boba who is covered in tattoos,; the people you might encounter on any bus ride. CJ also sees the beauty is his neighborhood but also the boarded up doors, broken windows, and pollution but his Nana gives him perspective on that too. I won’t spoil the ended of where CJ and Nana end up but it is another important community location where CJ and Nana get to meet more people in their community. This is the best picture book I have ever read with the theme of being connected to your community.

“Love” by Matt de la Peña and illustrated by Loren Long.

Learning social and emotional skills is one of the big buzz topics in early childhood education. Often, that focus is about how to deal with negative emotions. But what about positive emotions? How often do we stop to think and learn about love in our classrooms. Love is hard to define but Matt de la Peña’s words and Loren Long’s illustration show all the ways love surrounds us. The love between families. The love between people and their city. The love between people and nature. That love that manifest itself during tragedy and sadness. The love of music. Love for yourself and more. I don’t want to try to describe the book too much because my writing ability can’t capture the beauty in this book. I’ll end with saying you will love this book and it is one of the most profound things you will read whether you are a young child or adult.