The Last Stand
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
The author of Nigel and the Moon, delivers a tender intergenerational story inspired by his childhood in the rural south. Here's a farm stand that represents the importance of family, community, and hope.
A PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, BOOKPAGE, and SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR • WINNER: National Council of Teachers of English Charlotte Huck Award for Outstanding Fiction for Children
Every stand has a story.
This one is mine.
Saturday is for harvesting. And one little boy is excited to work alongside his Papa as they collect eggs, plums, peppers and pumpkins to sell at their stand in the farmer's market. Of course, it's more than a farmer's market. Papa knows each customer's order, from Ms. Rosa's pumpkins to Mr. Johnny's peppers. And when Papa can't make it to the stand, his community gathers around him, with dishes made of his own produce.
Heartwarming illustrations complement the lyrical text in this poignant picture book that reveals a family's pride in their work, and reminds us to harvest love and hope from those around us.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The last farmer's market stand in a close-knit Black community is run by the young narrator's grandfather, Papa, who sells eggs, peppers, plums, and pumpkins to faithful customers: "Don't worry. I've got ripe green peppers, just for you," Papa tells one. Eady (Nigel and the Moon) employs the child's keen observations ("Papa's hair is gray and thin. His movements slow and steady") to help readers understand that the man is aging ("Y'all coming later and later," says Mrs. Brown, when Papa and the narrator deliver plums after the stand closes). One Saturday, Papa's "too tired," and the young narrator works out how to keep the stand going. A wobbly first attempt on Granny's bike gives way to a successful second try involving a wagon; this quiet victory also signals a narrative turnabout as the community for whom Papa has long offered sustenance finds a way to provide for—and gather with—him, instead. In illustrations created with handmade stamps, the Pumphrey brothers (There Was a Party for Langston) convey a feeling of community-created abundance as the narrator reflects on family history in this intergenerational story that hints at larger sociopolitical issues. An author's note concludes. Ages 3–7. Author's agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. Illustrators' agent: Hannah Mann, Writers House.
