Last Stop on Market Street ~ Picture Book & KID KANDY

Last Stop on Market Street
Words by Matt de La Pena
Pictures by Christian Robinson
(G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2015)

CJ wondered why his Nana and he had to go on the bus every Sunday after church. He was full of questions. CJ asked why they didn't have a car, why did it have to rain, and why that man couldn't see.

Nana was wise. Throughout the story, Nana lets CJ experience real life people. She guides him to see with his ears, appreciate people who look different, and enjoy the magic in a song.

The most wonderful thing that nana gives to CJ is the habit of helping others. At the last stop on Market Street, where buildings and people are run down and dirty, CJ helps serve lunch at a soup kitchen. CJ is learning to see beauty through the dirt.

Last Stop on Market Street is a beautiful book about diversity and reaching out to help others. Nana sets a wonderful example of how to be a giving member of a community.

Read Last Stop on Market Street if you want your readers to grow up willing and able to make contributions to society.

KID KANDY:

Help at a Soup Kitchen

CJ helped serve food with his Nana. Maybe you don't have a soup kitchen in your area. But you and your child can still help.

You could:

~ Make arrangements to serve a meal at a local homeless shelter (or other place that serves free meals).

~ Collect food and donate it to a program that feeds hungry families - food banks, homeless shelters, or community outreach centers.

~ Gather non-perishable food items (juice boxes, nuts, dried fruit, bottled water, crackers). Divide items among lunch sacks and store in your car. Give out snack bags whenever you see someone on the street corner asking for donations.

~ Give money to organizations that help the hungry - churches, shelters, community service centers.

Be creative. What is available in your town? How can you help?

Ask your child for ideas. You might be surprised.

Terrific Tuesday - I Can Be More Like Jesus - Picture Book & KID KANDY

I Can Be More Like Jesus
Written by Angie Quantrell
(Woman's Missionary Union, 2006)

Philippe and Etienne enjoy life with their family. Journey with the two French brothers as they discover ways they can be more like Jesus. Helping others, praying for others, embracing nature, using manners, and giving help are just a few of the ways they learn to be more like Jesus.

In this photograph & watercolor illustrated book, French is the featured language. French phrases are printed on each page, along with pronunciation. Additional ideas are included at the end for families, teachers, and anyone who has or works with children.

I Can Be More Like Jesus is the fourth book in the I Can series. I am particularly proud of this book because I took the photos, using family and friends as characters. My graphic illustrator used a fancy computer program (sorry, not my specialty) to make the photographs appear to be made from watercolor painting. I love it!

KID KANDY:

Help the Homeless

We see them at many street corners and around town, asking for some cash, work, or food. How about being prepared to hand a homeless person a specially prepared lunch sack, complete with snacks and drinks? Make several lunch sacks and keep them close at hand when you are running errands. Let your children help you make, decorate, fill, and store the bags. When it comes time for a hand-out, you will be ready to go!

1. Let your children decorate paper lunch sacks with markers. They can draw all sorts of pictures. Add a special message like "Jesus Loves You." Do not add any personal information.

2. Fill the bags with non-perishable items to eat or drink. Some ideas are:

~ water bottles
~ sports drinks
~ juice boxes or cans
~ snack crackers with peanut butter or cheese
~ granola bars
~ packages of nuts
~ packets of tuna (not cans, as they are difficult to open)
~ napkins
~ hand-wipes or hand-sanitizer

3. Place the filled sacks in an easy to reach box in your car. Now you are ready.

4. Put the kids on alert. They get to search for homeless people. You get to deliver the bags. Way to go!


Angie Quantrell loves to show children how to love others, as people in our communities can always use a helping hand or a bright smile. Ideas for ways to help others are as numerous as the number of people in your city! Go for it.


Books by Angie Quantrell:
I Can Pray
I Can Give
I Can Do It!
I Can Be More Like Jesus
Let's Learn About . . .

Find these books:
www.wmu.com (Age Level Groups, Preschoolers, Books)
Or call 1-800-968-7301.

Terrific Tuesday - I Can Do It! - Picture Book + KID KANDY

I Can Do It!
Written by Angie Quantrell
Illustrated by Cathy Lollar
(Woman's Missionary Union, 2003)

I Can Do It! is the partner book I wrote as I was writing I Can Give (featured last week on Terrific Tuesday). Both books turned out beautiful, but I seem to remember some mental chaos along the line.

I Can Do It! is a story about Meiying and her family. Meiying is Chinese American. Illustrations and language features reflect Chinese heritage and language. I love the Chinese characters running down the sides of the pages. They are amazing.

I Can Do It! is a story about the many things Meiying can do to learn about and do missions. Missions include things like helping, loving, sharing, telling about Jesus, and more. Meiying loves interacting with her family, church, and community. She shows how even preschoolers can be on mission with Jesus.

Missions activities, a note to parents, Bible thoughts for preschoolers, and suggested Bible readings for adults are included in I Can Do It!

I'm very proud of I Can Do It! and think it is a wonderful book for preschoolers. Cathy Lollar did a fabulous job illustrating I Can Do It! I hope you think so, too.

KID KANDY:

One activity Meiying helps with is collecting food for the hungry. Here are some ways to gather and give food with your child.

~ Go shopping together. Let your child choose several items to give.

~ Go shopping in your cupboard. Help pick out healthy food items to give.

~ Coupon together. Let your child be in charge of handing coupons to the cashier. Use the money you save to buy food or donate to a program that feeds the hungry.

~ If you participate in a specific program, make up a flyer and go door-to-door with your child to ask neighbors for help in feeding the hungry.

Be sure and say thank you!

Where can we give the food we collect?

~ Homeless shelter

~ Women and children's shelter

~ Church hunger ministry

~ Community collection site

~ School outreach programs (like weekend backpacks of food)

Angie Quantrell loves picture books with great illustrations, lots of color, and fun features like language phrases. She enjoys teaching boys and girls about missions.

I Can Do It! is available through Woman's Missionary Union:

Phone: 1-800-968-7301
Online: www.wmustore.com (Go to age levels, preschoolers, and then books)