Antwan Eady's The Last Stand, illustrated by Jarrett and Jerome Pumphrey (The Old Truck), tells the openhearted story of a boy and his grandfather, and pays loving tribute to Black farmers in the U.S. On Saturdays, the boy, who reveres his Papa, helps him harvest fruits and eggs and haul it all to the farmer's market where his grandfather has the last remaining stand: "It wasn't always this way. A year ago, there were two. The year before, five."
In his closing author's note, Eady (Nigel and the Moon) succinctly illustrates the racism and discrimination Black farmers in this country have faced and the "food apartheids" with which many people still struggle, calling the story a "love letter" to Black farmers and the towns they serve. Here, it's a tight-knit community of regulars. When Papa is too tired one day to harvest, deliver, and sell, the capable boy does it himself, and community members load the boy's wagon with gifts for Papa.
The Pumphreys, who use a mix of traditional (handmade stamps) and digital media to create their illustrations, animate the story with vivid tableaux marked by crisp colors, appealing textures, and uncluttered compositions. Eady fills the text with pleasing alliteration and a steady rhythm, making this a good choice for emerging readers (particularly since many sentences are short). The watchful boy makes note of signs of Papa's aging and, seeing Papa's "black and wrinkled" hands, acknowledges that "each wrinkle tells me a story." He knows the stories are worth heeding. The lucky readers who pick up this book can be part of them too. --Julie Danielson, reviewer and copyeditor