The Last Stand

by Antwan Eady, Jarrett Pumphrey (Illustrator), Jerome Pumphrey (Illustrator)

The author of Nigel and the Moon, delivers a tender intergenerational story inspired by his childhood in the rural south. Here's a farm stand that represents the importance of family, community, and hope.

Every stand has a story.
This one is mine.

Saturday is for harvesting. And one little boy is excited to work alongside his Papa as they collect eggs, plums, peppers and pumpkins to sell at their stand in the farmer's market. Of course, it's more than a farmer's market. Papa knows each customer's order, from Ms. Rosa's pumpkins to Mr. Johnny's peppers. And when Papa can't make it to the stand, his community gathers around him, with dishes made of his own produce.

Heartwarming illustrations complement the lyrical text in this poignant picture book that reveals a family's pride in their work, and reminds us to harvest love and hope from those around us.

Genres: Picture Books, Family, Food, Childrens, African American, Realistic Fiction, Fiction

40 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2024

About the author

Originally from Garnett, South Carolina, Antwan Eady is author of the award-winning picture book Nigel and the Moon, illustrated by Gracey Zhang.

Down the dirt roads of South Carolina’s Low Country is where Eady’s understanding of—and appreciation for—family, community, and nature unfolded. Now he shares those stories with the world. His upcoming titles include: The Last Stand, Poemhood: Our Black Revival (a Young Adult poetry anthology), The Gathering Table, Micah’s Rise, and Before the Bridge.

When he isn’t writing, he’s visiting schools, libraries, and colleges throughout the country.

A graduate of Clemson University, Antwan now lives in Savannah, Georgia.

Reviews

[Leigh Collazo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this one, especially the illustrations and the Author's Note at the end about the decline of family farming and USDA discrimination against Black farmers.

This is about a father and son who work the last remaining stand at a local farmer's market. You can see the other closed stalls in the backgrounds, plus some picket signs that say "Support Black Farms." This goes well with the note at the end, which is not to be missed.

This is one of those books where the illustrations add much depth to the story's words. The illustrators are brothers Jarrett and Jerome Pumphrey. They recently won a Caldecott Honor for There Was a Party for Langson by Jason Reynolds.

Inferencing lesson idea for older elementary students: Ask students what they notice about the backgrounds and what they think those details are telling them about the bigger picture. What can we infer about the foods that the community brings to the father after he gets sick?

For an extension activity, read the Author's Note at the end aloud. What does the author mean by "food apartheid" and relate that to "food desserts" in poorer urban areas. Why is access to fresh food so important to communities?

How does the last page provide hope for this community? (there is a new stand open selling watermelons).

[Steena Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Last Stand, written by Antwan Eady and illustrated by Jarrett and Jerome Pumphrey, is a beautifully crafted love letter to Black farmers. Community love is felt through lyrical text and heartwarming illustrations, as grandson and grandfather work diligently to keep the last farm stand open in their neighborhood. A message of hard work, pride, and hope fill the pages of this important book. The author’s note explains more about the history and injustices that Indigenous and Black farmers have faced.

Powerful and eye-opening back matter has brought a meaningful conversation with my homeschooled kids about the history of farming in our country, and how food apartheids affect people and communities.

[Rachel McMahon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is beautiful. I cried. I hugged the book and I immediately read it again. Then I shared it with everyone who would listen. What an amazing tribute.

[Hannah Showalter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Looooved this one so much. The writing was really beautiful here especially.

[Courtlyn Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t begin to describe how happy I am that books for children are showing such important and meaningful stories of people from all walks of life. This book though simple in its verbiage, held such a powerful message of love and community and of course, the author’s note in the back had me nodding my head and thanking them for creating it. Illustrations are beautiful and one of my favorite parts of reading Easy Books for children! 5 ⭐️

[Megan Pflieger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Normally I would not post books on my Goodreads that are juvenile.. that I’ve read to my son or listened to with my son.

I am posting this one, because listening to the audiobook, the narration by the author, made me cry. The author’s note made me cry harder.

I completely recommend listening to this specifically. 100% worth the tears.

[Guilherme Semionato · Rating 3 out of 5]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oO7E...

[Elizabeth C · Rating 4 out of 5]

This picture book has won the 2025 NCTE Charlotte Huck Award for Outstanding Fiction for Children. It has also been named a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year, a BookPage Best Book of the Year, a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year Best Book of the Year, and won the Ezra Jack Keats writer honor for 2025. This book follows a grandfather and grandson as they work together on the weekends to harvest and sell at their local farm stand in a rural area. The grandson, who narrates the book, describes his work and his grandfather's work, as well as the regular customers who come to see them at the farmstand and the customers they make deliveries to at the end of their day. Over time the grandfather is unable to carry on the hard work of farming, so his grandson takes over the stand, with some loving support from the surrounding community. The book ends with an author's note about Black farmers and their unfair treatment by the USDA. The author says this book is a both a love letter to Black farmers and their history as well as an apology to the native peoples who used to farm and care for the land that was stolen from them.

This book has simple and engaging text with some repetition to show how the grandson and grandfather have a rhythm and ritual to their weekly harvest and sale. The illustrations are also simple, but colorful and clear. The environment and the characters are illustrated with detail and from a variety of perspectives, even from inside the chicken coop. I especially enjoyed the little details of the illustrations, such as the customers sharing food with the farmers and that the food being shared is made from the crops they sell (e.g., pumpkins become pumpkin pie, peppers become stuffed peppers), as well as the grandson's loving description of his grandfather.

This book could be read with students pre-k to second or third grade. Teachers can focus on social studies themes, such as community members and their roles, rural communities, and types of farming. They can also talk about patterns, make predictions, and make connections.

[Michaela Skweres · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Last Stand” is a heartwarming book about a boy and his Papa working at his farm stand. They harvest the food together and sell it at the stand to their customers. As Papa’s health declines, the boy starts to take on more responsibility. I read this book in traditional book format and loved the illustrations. This book was simple yet the message was both powerful and relatable. When thinking about the questions that chapter 10 offers to evaluate realistic fiction, this book does provide a sense of hope, it does have a moral / lesson, and it is believable. For these reasons, I would consider this a great realistic fiction to share with K-2 classroom. This would be a great book to focus on cause and effect, sequencing and theme. Publishers Weekly named “The Last Stand” the “Best Book of the Year”!

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picture book. Earl's pumpkins, peppers, plums, and eggs is the last stand at the farmer(s) market in this town. Earl comes every Saturday with his grandson who refers to him as Papa. They have a routine of who harvests what and who sets up what, and which customers need which purchase. But when Papa gets too tired, his grandson tries to do it all himself. Too young to drive, he tries valiantly to take his bike. The following week he ties a wagon to his bike and is pleased to find that the regulars are still there. They come bearing gifts of pumpkin pie, candied plums, and stuffed peppers for the ailing grandfather-- all made with the produce they bought from him.

This is a slow paced, kind of melancholy story, but yet still hopeful. At the end, we see one of the other booths re-opens as a watermelon stand. The feeling of a poor town in a food desert is there, but so too is the feeling of love and community. The illustrations by the Pumphrey brothers--done with handmade stamps and edited digitally according to the art note-- do a great job at capturing the full range of work and emotions around this family farm.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little Earl and his grandpa Earl sell their crops and eggs at the only stand left at the farmer's market. Signs throughout the book say "support black farmers" which gives a hint as to why they're the last in their black community. This book focuses on how the community comes together to support one of their own during prosperous times and when grandpa Earl becomes to tired and sick to continue on with the stand.

The writing is very poetic and uses a lot of symbolism (wrinkles in Grandpa's hand, potholes in the road, etc.) and uses color to make connections.

The end of the book features an author's note explaining more about how Black farmers have been marginalized and reduced from 14% of farmers in the 1900s to only 2% today. This is a simple story that is eye opening and a great discussion starter.

[Viviane Elbee · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book that features a heartwarming relationship between a boy and his grandfather, who have the last stand at the farmer’s market. We see how food can bring a community together and the importance of helping small farmers survive. Back matter also provides more information on the plight of black farmers in the USA who were discriminated against.

[Ann Haefele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow… gorgeous picture book with a message about intergenerational love while also delivering an ode to black farmers. Don’t miss the author’s note at the end or the cover under the dust jacket. It’s Caldecott worthy as the eye catching detailed illustrations help tell the story.

[Jhana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book while searching for contemporary realistic fiction titles on my instructor’s Wakelet page, and I was able to find a read-aloud of this book on YouTube. The Last Stand was written by Antwan Eady and illustrated by Jarrett and Jerome Pumphrey. This book has received numerous awards and recognitions, including the 2025 Charlotte Huck Award, a finalist for the 2025 Jane Addams Children's Book Award, a 2025 Ezra Jack Keats Author Honor, and a 2025 ALSC Notable Children's Book Award.

This book is about a boy who works alongside his Papa to prepare for the weekly farmer’s market. The book follows the boy and his Papa on their journey as they harvest, collect, and prepare to sell their products at their stand each week. Through words and visual storytelling in the illustrations, we can see how members of the community come together to support their farm by buying produce and spreading love to one another, evidence of a strong sense of community, love, and appreciation for Papa and his farm. A few times, the boy must take on the responsibility of the farm when his Papa is feeling tired. When Papa is not around, the community continues to support his farm and sends Papa well-wishes. At the end of the book, the illustrations show that the boy has taken over the stand, as he is now all grown up and is the one unloading the truck of produce, just like his Papa once did. The book beautifully captures the themes of community, family, dedication, and perseverance.

Being that this book is realistic fiction, I appreciated that it tells a story with relatable experiences, while also shedding light on the history of Black farming in the United States that is often underrepresented. I appreciated that this story and the author’s note at the end provide the reader with more insight into the discrimination faced by Black farmers from the USDA, while also leaving the reader with a sense of hope to continue supporting Black farmers, as they are vital contributors to our communities.

I envision this book being read aloud to students in grades K-2, in conjunction with lessons about Black history and community. I could also see this book being used for inferencing, as the illustrations help tell parts of the story that are not explicitly stated with words. I plan to purchase this book for my own classroom library!

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Softly colored artwork created with handmade stamps and then digitally edited accompany an important intergenerational story [3.5 for me!] and one that reminds readers of what might be lost when small farms cease to be. The accessible and poetic text explains that Earl's grandfather has the last remaining produce stand in once was a bustling community farmers' market open on Saturdays. Papa harvests all the fruits and vegetables and stashes them in baskets made by the narrator's grandmother while he is responsible for collecting the eggs from the chickens and helping load everything onto the pickup truck. Earl makes note of the lines and wrinkles on Papa's face and hands as well as his gray hair and slow movement and reflects upon the stories they could tell and the experiences the elderly man has had. Papa seems to know his customers and what they want to buy well, and he and young Earl even deliver some plums to an elderly woman on their way home. When Papa is too tired one Saturday to head to market, Earl picks up the reins, peddling there on a bicycle, but losing much of his produce on the way. When his grandfather is still under the weather the next Saturday, Earl figures out a way to transport his wares to market. The response of his customers is touching as they offer homemade gifts of food for Papa. The last illustration shows an older Earl unloading a pickup truck and a sign displaying "Little Earl's Pumpkins, Peppers, Plums &Eggs." Clearly, he's carrying on the family tradition. This moving picture book celebrates the community and connections that are made from everyday experiences and is also a tribute to Black farmers. The Author's Note provides additional insight into the dwindling numbers of Black farmers and those who work the fields. The book's title takes on added significance when considering some of those observations and considering some of the stands that the older Earl has taken throughout his lifetime, hinted at through the text and images. There's a bittersweet quality to all this.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous full-color illustrations by the Pumphrey brothers help Antwan Eady tell this story of a grandfather and his grandson and their farm stand, the last one when all the others shown beside theirs say "out of business. The young boy tells the story of helping harvest, then gathering the pumpkins and peppers, plums and eggs, and placing them in the sweetgrass baskets woven by his Granny. Week after week they go, until one day, Papa (his grandpa) is too tired, and the boy must take over. It's poetic and poignant, with a long author's note by Eady telling of the discrimination years ago by the FDA toward black and native farmers, the confiscation of their lands they had made fertile, and more. He writes: "I've taken heartbreak and turned it into a story about a boy and his grandfather who now have the last stand at a farmer's market in a community that can't afford to lose it." There's more from him to know, and a book to read and love.

[Laura Giessler · Rating 4 out of 5]

A poignant story about a Black farming family. "Every stand has a story. This one is mine." This is a story about the community that is built at the farm stand with Farmer Earl and his regular customers. While the themes of the story are layered and important, I felt the language of the text was clunky, and I didn't love the style of illustrations; still, a great book. When Earl can no longer make it out to the stand, it is heartwarming to witness the neighbors bring homemade food to Earl, made with produce from his stand. Grandson Earl begins to take more responsibility and carries on with the farming and the stand, and we notice "Little Earl"'s name on the sign at the end. The Author's Note in the back gives background information on the discrimination that Black Farmers (and others) faced over the past century, helping the reader understand that the title has more than one meaning.

[Colette · Rating 5 out of 5]

A simple love letter to farmers of color and memories of the author and his grandpa. Reading the back story it reminded me of my Mommom. She was the 11th out of 12 children born to a white share cropper. My great-grandmother took her and my Uncle Bill away from the farm after everyone came down with a horrible illness, except my Uncle Bill. He was only 7 at the time. He kept everyone alive during their illness. When the family began to get better, he succumbed to the same illness. My great-grandmother held him for days. Every time he quit breathing she would give him a quick hug like the Heimlich maneuver. He would continue breathing. When he recovered. She took Uncle Bill, my grandmother (Mommom to all of us grandkids) and walked to California. She got a job cleaning office spaces for a law firm. When my uncle grew up those lawyers put my uncle through law school. I’m proud of my family heritage. If always had strong women to look up to.

[Roben · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely homage to Black farmers, markets, and community. It is the story of Grandfather Earl, a Black farmer who takes his harvest to the farmer's market on Sundays with a little help from his grandson, Little Earl. But when Grandpa gets sick, Little Earl has to step in and run the stand at the market. Their stand is the only one left and Little Earl knows the community depends on them. He can't let them - or Grandpa - down. And the community pitches in to help. As a result, the market has a rebirth with more people opening up stands to sell things.


The story is great on its own but -
There is an author's note at the end that helps put the story into perspective. And adds important information.

Beautifully illustrated by the Pumphrey Brothers. And you must look under the dust jacket! The cover of the book is quite different - one of the best I've seen in a while.

[Read Ribbet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eady focuses on the history of black farmers in this beautifully told story about a grandfather and his grandson maintaining the last black own farm stand in their neighborhood. The narrative story often uses color to describe the events of preparing for and manning the food stand throughout the day. The grandson realizes on a day when his grandfather can't open the stand that he must use his knowledge and initiative to keep the stand going for the people who depend on it. The reader sees how taking care of others often pays off in return. The author's note at the end tells the plight of the black farmer in the US drawing on his experiences growing up in South Carolina. The book effectively provides light on a group of people and their challenges that often are not the subject of children's books but should be.

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Papa has the last stand at a farmer's market where a community counts on him. His grandson helps him on Saturdays to gather the food at the farm and set up the stand and run the stand, including some personal deliveries to long standing customers. When grandpa is too tired to go one Saturday, his grandson takes it upon himself to use his bike and deliver to their customers. The next week he adds a wagon to his bike and when delivering the vegetables and eggs he is given things made by the regulars. There is an afterward from the author about the reason for this focus on a Black farmer and those who lost their stands making him the last stand at the market.

I really liked the story and learned a great deal from the author note after the sweet story. Illustrations are lovely and support the story quite well.

[Mother Goose Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Papa’s hair is gray and thin. His movements, slow and steady.But like the wrinkles in his hands, every strand and movement tells me a story.”

The Last Stand by Antwan Eady and illustrated by Jarrett and Jerome Pumphrey is a stunning picture book, in both story and artwork. Bright and bold artwork convey a an encouraging and cheerful story. Illustrations were created with handmade stamps and edited digitally. Beautiful writing tells a tender story of a boy and his grandfather’s produce stand at the local farmers market. From harvesting on Saturdays to papa’s customers bringing him dishes made with his own produce, when he’s unable to get to the stand. This intergenerational story was inspired by Eady’s childhood, growing up in the south. Includes an author’s note. If you’re looking to share a tender story of family, love, and community with children or older adults in your life, pick up a copy of The Last Stand.

[Karen Kline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Food, soil, and land are civil rights. This book is a tribute to those Black people who have fought to farm. It is not until the author's afterword that the book's true purpose is clarified.

The young man in the story is helping his grandfather set up their produce stand as the numbers dwindle at the farmers market. One day the grandfather isn't well, and the boy has to carry on. It's not easy, and on the second week the young man gets better at hauling the fruits and vegetables by bicycle. The art is colorful in this book that moves from day to night and back to day reminding readers of the long days that farmers toil. All the people who frequent the produce stand come together to toward the end of the book to prepare food for the grandfather. The book is a triumph of a reminder how important food, family and friends are.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book took on such a large topic, but it did it with grace. Black farmers in have faced many challenges over the year and this book does a wonderful job at walking the reader through times of happiness and times of struggle. This book is beautifully written in a rhyme scheme that will be easy for young readers to follow. Although they may not understand the FULL backstory to this simple picture book, it can lead to great discussions. The illustrations were created with handmade stamps, then digitally edited. The result is such an original style of illustrations that you just want to keep flipping the pages to see what's next. A beautifully written story that any child with loving grandparents can relate too. I think that children, teachers, and other grown-ups alike will enjoy this one. (Diamond 25-26)

[J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an absolutely incredible book. I got it from the library, and read it to my kid, because my local librarian recommended it as being about a farmer at a farmers market. And my toddler did indeed enjoy it on that level, but I got so much more out of it, and will look forward to re-introducing the book every so often to them as they grow older and can learn more about the true story behind the words. The author's note is one of the best one-page notes I have read in any "children's" book, giving more context and background to a topic. The book is a beautiful love letter to Black farmers, and sets a good stage to open up a discussion of discrimination, food apartheid, and other inequalities and structural injustices.

[Ava Noble · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Last Stand" is a story centered around a Saturday tradition that the narrator and his papa have, where they harvest for Papa's farmstand. Each weekend, they harvest and take all the goods to the farmers' market, where the same customers get their "usuals". But then Papa becomes too tired and old to run the stand, his grandson carries on the tradition. At first, he doesn't really know how. But he is innovative and comes up with the idea to put a wagon on the back of his bike to haul all the customers' goods. One day, instead of him giving the town his groceries, the town starts to give Pa pies and other things to make him feel better. This book beautifully captures the love between a grandfather and his grandson and the importance of family traditions.

[Allison Kane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Date: 2024
Award: Charlotte Huck Award
Genre: Picturebook, realistic fiction

Summary: In this book, it follows along an older man who goes to the community farmers market to sell his different farm fresh goods. One Saturday, he doesn't make it to the market, but since all of the community members know him, they come to him with different dishes of his own produce to help him out. I thought that this book was great because it shows that even when we make a small gesture, it can help someone greatly, whether it is selling produce at a market or later supporting the man selling the produce when he needs it. I would use this book in my future classroom to teach students about community and why it is important that we support others in our community.

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a sorrow in this story and yet, there is also hope and community. There is a farmers market and all the stands are closed accept one, run by an old man. His grandson helps him. This farmers market is important to the community.

The grandfather gets sick and the grandson figures out a way to keep it going. Everyone is worried about the grandfather. It feels like the stand is hanging by a thread.

There is a lovely letter in the back from the author about black farmers in our country.

The rhyme scheme is lovely, just lovely. The artwork is nice. Color is used well in this story.

[Holly Mueller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this one! Papa's Farmer's Market stand is the last one, and there's always a line waiting for its opening. Little Earl helps Papa harvest on Saturdays - peppers, plums, pumpkins, eggs. Granny makes the sweetgrass baskets that hold it all. Everthing about Papa and the journey to the stand tell a story. Sadly, there comes a time when Papa is too tired, but Little Earl steps up and does it all, eventually taking over the stand. I love that the community sends gifts made out of the things they buy at the stand when Papa can't work anymore. The Author's Note tells about the history of how Black farmers were discriminated against and the effects it had on today's Black farmers.

[Kasey Driskell · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Last Stand is a beautifully crafted story with rhythmic prose that flows effortlessly, making it a joy to read aloud. The illustrations add a deeper layer to the storytelling, conveying emotion and history in a way that perfectly complements the text. I especially appreciated how the connection between words and images created a broader, more immersive narrative.

I had the privilege of meeting Antwan Eady at a library event, and he was both funny and incredibly relatable. That personal experience made me appreciate his work even more. His passion for storytelling shines through in every page. Highly recommend!