Eady, Antwan. Last Stand, The. Jarrett Pumphrey, Illus. Addl. Creator Jerome Pumphrey. Random/Knopf, 01/2024. [40]pp. Picture Book. Trade $18.99. 978-0-593-48057-1. GRADES Preschool–3. OUTSTANDING.
A Black farmer and his grandson bring their crops to sell at their local market, where they are the only stand remaining. When Papa isn’t able to work at the stand anymore, the grandson gradually takes over the job and finds a solution that makes his family proud. The Pumphrey brothers employ handmade stamps to show a loving and hardworking community that has fallen on hard times through such details as the peeling sign at the weekly farmer’s market. Families preparing children for the inevitable loss of a beloved relative may wish to use this book to initiate the conversation. A detailed author’s note provides inspiration about Eady’s experiences that prompted the book and frames this family story within a bigger conversation about the role of Black farmers in providing food to the United States and the unjust treatment they received from the USDA. Together, Eady and the Pumphreys have created a book that can be appreciated on multiple levels for a broad and varied audience.
Beth Gousman—Montclair Elementary