Sacred Story Time: Last Stop on Market Street

I absolutely love Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña, illustrated by Christian Robinson. It’s the story of CJ and his grandmother riding the bus together on a Sunday afternoon. We don’t know where they’re going until the very end (and it’s a tender, meaningful surprise, so I won’t spoil it), but most of the book lives in the in-between: the ride itself, the people they encounter, the ordinary moments that make up a shared journey.

Along the way, CJ asks honest questions—the kind that come from paying attention. Why don’t they have a car? Why doesn’t their stop look like the others? Why is it so dirty here? And again and again, his grandmother gently reframes the moment. She doesn’t dismiss his questions or rush him past them. Instead, she invites him to look again, to look deeper, to notice what might otherwise be missed.

CJ’s grandmother becomes a kind of spiritual guide, teaching him (and us) how to see goodness, beauty, and dignity in places that don’t always get named as beautiful.

My favorite part of the story is this exchange:

He reached for his Nana’s hand.
“How come it’s always so dirty over here?”
She smiled and pointed to the sky.
“Sometimes when you’re surrounded by dirt, CJ,
you’re a better witness for what’s beautiful.”

He wondered how his nana always found beautiful where he never even thought to look.

Every time I read that line, it stops me. A better witness for what’s beautiful. This feels like a calling—not just for children, but for all of us. To notice beauty where it’s unexpected. To give testimony to it. To learn how to see with love shaped by experience, compassion, and hope.

Can I just say: I want to be just like CJ’s grandma.

This book makes a wonderful sacred story time invitation—one that opens space for noticing, empathy, and the holy work of paying attention.

Noticing prompt:

As you read, pay attention to the illustrations. Where does CJ notice something new because his grandmother points it out?
I wonder: Where do I tend to overlook beauty because I’ve already decided what a place—or person—is like?

Play prompt:

After reading, take a short walk or sit in a familiar place (a bus stop, sidewalk, parking lot, waiting room).
Challenge yourself to name three beautiful things you might normally ignore: a sound, a color, a small act of kindness, a patch of light.

Imaginative prompt:

Imagine you are riding the bus with CJ and his grandmother.
Who would you sit next to?
What would you notice first?
What might CJ’s grandmother gently invite you to see differently?

Prayer:

Beautiful Father, give us eyes to see beauty everywhere—even in places we are tempted to rush past or judge too quickly. Help us to be witnesses to the beauty you have already placed in the world. Teach us to notice it, name it, and share it with the communities in which we find ourselves. Amen.