The Last Stand

Starred review from October 9, 2023
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.

Starred review from December 1, 2023
The story of one Black farmer stands in for the plight of many. The young Black protagonist who narrates the story farms with his grandfather, Earl, whom he calls Papa. Once one of many Black farmers who sold at this market, Earl's now the only one left, selling homegrown pumpkins, peppers, and plums. In this tight-knit community, folks look out for one another like family. When Earl is too tired to go to the market, his grandson harvests and sells the produce without him. But Earl's customers send the boy home with goods to help Papa heal: pumpkin pie, stuffed peppers, candied plums, and plum jam. References to color abound in both text and the art: Papa's black hands, which can make and fix anything; the black night sky in a community with no streetlights; Papa's blue truck; the purple plums. The Pumphreys' bold, stunning artwork, created with digitally edited handmade stamps, perfectly captures the pace of hot summer days in the rural South, the joy of growing produce for others, and the sadness of losing these important sources of nutritious food and community. In an author's note, Eady calls his heartfelt tale both a love letter to a fading way of life and an apology to those facing the racism that has contributed to the decimation of Black-owned farms. A sumptuously illustrated, bittersweet story that's at once an ode to and a eulogy for Black American farms. (Picture book. 4-7)

COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

January 1, 2024
The plight of Black farmers takes center stage in this affecting picture book. A boy and his grandfather faithfully take their produce to a farmers' market every Saturday. Papa's stall is the only one occupied, but "it wasn't always this way." Just two years ago, there were five. The Pumphreys' expressive illustrations, created using handmade stamps and edited digitally, highlight the richness of the harvest, the deep purple plums, large orange pumpkins, and vibrant green bell peppers. Papa knows his customers well and even stops at Mrs. Brown's to deliver plums after the stand closes each week. When Papa is too tired to carry on this work, his customers come to him to share a meal consisting of the bounty from his land. The final spread reveals that even though Papa's days of harvesting are over, the family's connection to farming won't end. A bumper sticker on his pickup truck along with signs in his barn and stand promote the cause of Black farmers. An author's note provides information about the dwindling number of Black farmers due to discrimination. Marva Anne Hinton

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from January 1, 2024
Preschool-Grade 2 *Starred Review* A young Black boy narrates the story of his grandfather's stand at the farmers' market. Papa, with dark brown skin and white hair, harvests pumpkins, peppers, and plums, while the boy gathers eggs. Together, they take Papa's blue truck to the weekly market, and the narrative maintains a matter-of-fact tone amid worrying undercurrents. There used to be five stands at the market; now there is only one. Papa is getting older; some days he is too tired to pick the crops, so the boy does it instead. Too young to drive, the determined child carries as much as he can on Granny's bicycle. When that plan proves less than successful, he engineers a way to hook a wagon to the bicycle. The warmth and support of the community shine through as customers send food and good wishes back to Papa. The Pumphreys' illustrations, created with their signature handmade stamps, capture the spirit of the setting and characters, portraying them as hardworking, caring people looking out for one another. Throughout the illustrations are small signs reading "Support Black Farmers," and Eady's author's note explains more about discrimination from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This multilayered story can be shared either as a family pulling together to keep their business running or as a deeper exploration of a situation many Black farmers and communities have faced.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from January 26, 2024

K-Gr 4-Earl's stand is the last one that's still open at the farmer's market; last year there were two, in other years there were more. A Black child works alongside Papa at this stand, from early till late, with one last stop up Mrs. Brown's driveway with a basket of plums. Papa, with white hair and spectacles, is too tired the following week, but the narrator uses a little ingenuity to make the rounds anyway, and not only are the plums delivered, but he has jam and more as gifts for the elderly man. The plain, childlike narration offers readers a river of information about this work; the pace is fleeting and firm. Using digitally altered, hand-stamped paintings, the Pumphreys create a homespun feeling, but it's no blast from the past. The work in this community feels of the present, the loss of Papa still wounding, even though little Earl is obviously a grown man with a stand of his own by the end. Most readers will have seen these scenes somewhere, and will nestle into some resolve to support farmer's markets and the people whose work nourishes so many. An author's note offers more: that Black farmers once represented 14% of all farming, but lack of access to grants and loans, as well as other forms of soft and hard racism, have brought that number to something less than two percent. VERDICT A self-described love letter, this pairs perfectly with Maria Gianferrari's Thank a Farmer for classroom units or story hours on food and community. -Kimberly Olson Fakih

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2024
The plight of Black farmers takes center stage in this affecting picture book. A boy and his grandfather faithfully take their produce to a farmers' market every Saturday. Papa's stall is the only one occupied, but "it wasn't always this way." Just two years ago, there were five. The Pumphreys' expressive illustrations, created using handmade stamps and edited digitally, highlight the richness of the harvest, the deep purple plums, large orange pumpkins, and vibrant green bell peppers. Papa knows his customers well and even stops at Mrs. Brown's to deliver plums after the stand closes each week. When Papa is too tired to carry on this work, his customers come to him to share a meal consisting of the bounty from his land. The final spread reveals that even though Papa's days of harvesting are over, the family's connection to farming won't end. A bumper sticker on his pickup truck along with signs in his barn and stand promote the cause of Black farmers. An author's note provides information about the dwindling number of Black farmers due to discrimination.

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)