by Antwan Eady, illustrated by Jerome Pumphrey and Jarrett Pumphrey
Knopf Books for Young Readers | 2024
Farmers take center stage in this intergenerational story that follows a boy and his grandfather as they work together to collect produce and eggs for their farmer’s market stand. When the grandfather’s health prevents him from doing his weekly duties, the grandson rises to the challenge and neighbors pitch in too. Told through the eyes of the grandson, we see the way farming inspires important connections to the land and each other in a rural community. The Pumphrey brothers’ signature hand-made stamping technique provides subtle details about the social and economic pressures on Black farmers and rural communities at the heart of this story. Readers will consider the many hardships farmers face in current times, as well as the hope that comes in helping each other.
Discussion questions:
Where does this story take place? What are some similarities and differences to Vermont?
What is the significance of colors in this story? How do the illustrators use colors to convey the mood of the story?
Have you ever been to a farmer’s market? What’s going on at the farmer’s market in The Last Stand?
How do people help each other in this story?
Vocabulary:
Gullah Geechee: The Gullah Geechee are descendants of Africans who were enslaved on the coast of the southeastern United States, specifically in the lowcountry region of South Carolina, Georgia, and northern Florida. They developed a unique culture, language (Gullah), music, food, and traditions due to their relative isolation on the coastal islands and plantations.
Sweetgrass: Sweetgrass is a sweet-scented perennial grass that is native to North America. The leaves of this grass are used by the indigenous cultures and the Gullah community as the base material for their coiled basketry. Sweetgrass is also burned for ceremonial purposes, used as a potpourri, and made into medicinal tea.
Cootah: word for “turtle” in the Gullah language.
Video content:
Gullah contemporary music - Ranky Tanky (based on patty cake!)
Publisher content:
Educators’ Guide
Activities:
Make stamp art with the Pumphrey brothers
Supplies needed: paper, scissors, glue stick, craft foam, foam core, markers, ink pad, paperclip
Food drive: create colorful collection boxes for students to bring in food to distribute to a community food shelf
Create a collage of favorite foods & vegetables
Invite a local farmer to join the class and read the book aloud as well as bring in some of their products
Author
www.antwaneady.com
Antwan Eady grew up in Garnett, South Carolina, where he spent most of his days riding four-wheelers, fishing, and imagining a world without limitations. Eady is the author of a Nigel and the Moon, The Last Stand, Poemhood (a young adult poetry anthology), The Gathering Table, Micah’s Rise, and Before the Bridge. When he isn’t writing, he’s searching for the best low country boil in Savannah, Georgia, where he currently resides.
Illustrators
thepumphreybrothers.com
Jarrett and Jerome Pumphrey are a sibling author-illustrator duo from Houston, Texas. Together they work on books for kids, including the Caldecott Honor-winning There Was a Party for Langston written by Jason Reynolds; The Last Stand written by Antwan Eady; It’s a Sign!, an Elephant & Piggie Like Reading book; Somewhere in the Bayou, a Texas 2x2 List Selection; and their author-illustrator debut, The Old Truck, which received seven starred reviews, was named a Best Book of the Year by Publishers Weekly, and received the Ezra Jack Keats New Author Honor.
Jarrett spends his time making books in his home near Austin, TX, where he lives with his wife, their two boys, a dog named Whiskey, and another dog named Ford. Jerome works primarily from his home office in Georgetown, TX, where he lives with his wife and their three kids.
Jerome is a designer, illustrator, and writer, originally from Houston, TX. He studied graphic design at the Art Institute of Austin and has worked as a technical writer, freelance graphic designer, and illustrator. Since 2016 he has been a graphic designer at The Walt Disney Company where he uses design and illustration to visually tell stories in print, digital, and immersive experiences for Disney global business development. He works primarily from his home office in Georgetown, TX, where he lives with his wife and their three kids.
A Plate of Hope: The Inspiring Story of Chef Jose Andres and World Central Kitchen
The Farm That Feeds Us: A Year in the Life of an Organic Farm
The Gathering Table
Thank you, Omu!