Matt de la Peña

Celebrates [kids’] capacity to explore and change . . . conveying the heartening idea that lives of meaning emerge . . . from ‘mismatched scraps accumulated over time/ and stitched together/ into a kind of patchwork.’

A text that flows like poetry . . . Glorious.”

”In this rich, multilayered journey, the award-winning creators of Last Stop on Market Street celebrate a city’s kaleidoscope of scenes, offer a glimpse at a child’s experience with parental incarceration, and convey that child’s keen observations about his circumstances and surroundings.

Pictures brimming with activity, an endearing main character, and threads for thinking about art, families, and what we see in others make this a book that will hold up to many readings.

As Clark learns the truth about his past and questions his identity, one thing remains true: Clark will always help those in need. This is a modern and relevant take on Clark Kent’s teenage years.

Matt de la Peña’s Superman is the quintessential American alien. Despite being caught between two worlds, he’s everything we love about the Man of Steel: courageous, compassionate, and full of hope.

In his brilliant take on Superman, de la Peña shows us that there’s a chance we’ll all need to step up like Clark Kent—with or without a cape.

A wonderful, bold interpretation of a DC icon that aspires to embrace all readers, new and old.

[A] beautiful book about the love of siblings and community. . . . A must read for everyone.

Carmela’s journey of wishing, waiting, and wanting resonates on many levels; an important addition to bookshelves everywhere.

Full of rich details, sharp and restrained writing, and acrylic paintings that look textured enough to rise off the page . . . Another near-perfect slice of life from a duo that has found a way to spotlight underrepresented children without forgetting that they are children first.

The award-winning team behind Last Stop on Market Street portrays Carmela’s Spanish-speaking community as a vibrant place of possibility, and Robinson’s acrylic-and-cutout spreads introduce readers to street vendors, workers in the fields, and sweeping views of the sea. Sensitively conceived and exuberantly executed, Carmela’s story shines.

Love – it’s an abstract emotion, right? Not even close. These pictures and words describe a zillion ways to think of love . . . For readers, this book is a lifelong challenge to ask: What is love? And how can we create more of it in what we think and do and say?

This heartfelt and sensitively rendered picture book meditation begs to be shared and discussed with children . . . Spread the love.

Newbery Award–winning De la Peña offers a lyrical ode to love in this stirring picture book. . . . In De la Peña’s lines, love becomes not just an emotion between people but a feeling suffusing the world.

Everything that can be called love — from shared joy to comfort in the darkness — is gathered in the pages of this reassuring, refreshingly honest picture book.

Lyrical and sensitive, Love is the sort of book likely to leave readers of all ages a little tremulous, and brimming with feeling.

De la Peña’s prose poem speaks right to young children. . . . People often talk to children about love; in these pages, they can see and feel what it’s like. And there’s plenty for everybody.

[A] poetic reckoning of the importance of love in a child’s life . . . eloquent and moving.

De la Peña wonderfully expresses the impact of music on the soul, and Ramírez’s bright, expressive watercolor illustrations underscore the poetic prose style perfectly. ¡Que viva La Música!

Steeped in Latino culture, this picture book affirms the importance of family, ethnic traditions, and immersive musical experiences. Ramírez’s lively, colorful, culturally rich illustrations will give young readers plenty to discover, while their retro appearance may remind adults of Little Golden Books and Disney cartoons from their own childhoods.

Readers will be drawn to the raw and gritty setting, fast-moving plot, and diverse characters worth rooting for.

Between [the] fast-paced plot and meaningful, diverse character development, this is a great crossover for fans of both thrillers and more character-driven novels.

De la Peña has created a rare thing: a plot-driven YA with characters worthy of a John Green novel.

Action is first and foremost. . . . De la Peña can uncork delicate but vivid scenes.

[The Living] is special because of its extraordinary protagonist, Shy, who I haven’t been able to shake from my mind in the weeks since I read the book.

In Matt de la Peña’s compulsively readable thriller…the breakneck plot will draw readers in, but Shy’s personal discoveries about how the world is skewed toward those in power, and his decisions to do the right thing, will hold their attention.

A disaster epic, a survival story, and a coming-of-age novel filled with the life of a young man who’s becoming aware of class, prejudice, and romance.

De la Peña delivers near-constant action, a high body count, and a compelling cast of characters in this socially aware thriller.

Adventure survival enthusiasts will relish the vivid and raw descriptions of the sinking ship, blistering sun, and shark-infested waters. But most appealing is the empathetic teen, portrayed as a tough guy with a romantic side, who will appeal to both males and females, and is likely to appear in the upcoming sequel.

A straight-up tour de force, a breathless, horrifying dash into the void…the fun of de la Peña’s latest is how unexpectedly he blends genres, making this, in a sense, four books in one: a finely observed social-class drama, an on-the-sea survival adventure, a global-disaster book, and a contagion thriller.

With the precision of a poet, Matt de la Peña chronicles a boy’s heartwarming Sunday morning routine with his nana. Christian Robinson’s uplifting palette and culturally diverse cast brightens the rainy-day backdrop.

If Robinson doesn’t win this year’s Caldecott, then next year could be the one with his name on it. His remarkable Last Stop on Market Street (with Matt de la Peña), is an early favorite for the best picture book of 2015.

It’s not often that you see class addressed in picture books in ways that are subtle and seamless, but Last Stop on Market Street, the affectionate story of a young boy and his grandmother, does just that…This ode to gratitude is 2015’s first must-read picture book.

The urban setting is truly reflective, showing people with different skin colors, body types, abilities, ages, and classes in a natural and authentic manner… A lovely title.

De la Peña and Robinson here are carrying on for Ezra Jack Keats in spirit and visual style. This quietly remarkable book will likely inspire questions… it will also have some adult readers reaching for a tissue.

Like still waters, de la Peña and Robinson’s story runs deep. It finds beauty in unexpected places, explores the difference between what’s fleeting and what lasts, acknowledges inequality, and testifies to the love shared by an African-American boy and his grandmother.

This celebration of cross-generational bonding is a textual and artistic tour de force.

The sharp illustrations — in bold, and cheerful primaries — get CJ’s restless energy and curious postures exactly right. The voices of CJ and his grandmother carry the story along in subtle point and counterpoint so that at this book’s quiet close you feel like you’ve been listening to a song.

Matt de la Peña’s warmhearted story is musical in its cadences…Christian Robinson’s angular, bright illustrations are energetic and vibrant… [A] celebration of the joys of service, the gifts of grandmothers and the tenderness that the city can contain.

That material poverty need not mean spiritual or imaginative poverty becomes beautifully clear in the quietly moving pages of Last Stop on Market Street, a picture book by Matt de la Peña filled with Christian Robinson’s vibrant naïf illustrations.

It’s also the warmth of their intergenerational relationship that will make this book so satisfying, for both young readers and the adults sharing it with them.

Stunning art and dramatic storytelling.

Spectacularly illustrated and smoothly cadanced.

Spare, evocative verse melds with the eloquent illustrations to create palpable energy around the fight and Louis’s struggle to the top.

De la Peña skillfully captures the slippery sides of a schizophrenic personality in this heartwarming, root-for-the-underdog novel.

A taut psychological novel…[with] intriguing, well-developed characters…[that] will stay with readers.

A story of friendship that will appeal to teens and will engage the most reluctant readers.

A furiously paced and gripping novel.

This gripping story about underprivileged teens is a rewarding read.

Fast, funny, smart, and heartbreaking…The contemporary survival adventure will keep readers hooked.

De la Peña blends sports and street together in a satisfying search for personal identity.

The baseball scenes…sizzle like Danny’s fastball…Danny’s struggle to find his place will speak strongly to all teens, but especially to those of mixed race.

[A] first-rate exploration of self-identity.

Truly authentic in its examination of both the game I love and the invariable missteps toward manhood. You cannot fail to be moved by the eloquence and truth of this story.

From the very first sentence, this book grabbed me and didn’t let go. The deeper I got into it, the more I felt like Sticky’s story was my story. His heart, his handle, the guys in the gym, his potential pitfalls, his dreams. All of it. In a weird sense, this is my life.

I have never before seen blacktop ball depicted so well. In this novel, you will find its flash, its power, and its elegance without chains. This is powerful stuff.

De la Peña does an excellent job of combining the streets with the sport. Gritty and mesmerizing.

Riveting…Teens will be strongly affected by the unforgettable, distinctly male voice; the thrilling, unusually detailed basketball action; and the questions about race, love, self-worth, and what it means to build a life without advantages.

[An] inspiring story. Sticky is a true original, and de la Peña has skillfully brought him to life.