Top positive review
4.0 out of 5 starsA Must for Every Library
Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2017
It is so rare to find a book with a POC protagonist, especially in children's books. The story is of a boy and his grandmother who take the bus after church (religion is not part of this you just know they came out of a church building) on a Sunday morning. The little boy is not happy about taking the bus. He wants to ride in a car to their destination. On the bus, he meets and sees lots of different and unique people. Then finally they get the last stop, Market Street. The last stop is a neighborhood that's not so nice, but his grandmother tells him to look past the dirt and find the things that are beautiful. Eventually, they make it to their destination, a soup kitchen, where they meet and serve the people they see every Sunday. Annoyed as he was, the little boy is now grateful and glad that they came.
I like this story for one simple reason, it reminds me of all the adventures I took with my great-grandmother on the bus to the library, museum, downtown, and church. Usually on Sundays, it was always me and her. To see that relationship manifested into a book was such a joy when I discovered it. I bought this book for my son who I now take to the library, museum, downtown, and church. Albeit, we usually travel by car, but every once and a while, we will actually take the bus because of that unique experience I had with my own grandmother. I wish the lesson of being thankful for what you have and helping others and seeing the good in things when it looks bad on the surface wasn't so nuanced. That is why I only gave four stars, but other than that, it is a superb book. It is really is a must for ALL home libraries whether you are a POC or not.
