Three Pockets Full: A Story of Love, Family, and Tradition

PreS-Gr 2–Beto’s mother is excited for him to wear a blue guayabera to an upcoming wedding, but Beto is having none of that. Besides, he may be coming down with something, so he might not be able to go to the wedding at all. Beto and his mother send the shirt back and forth with notes in the pockets, until finally Beto decides to hide it. When he does, he discovers photographs of his mother and father at their wedding, and his grandfather is wearing a guayabera. A deeper reason Beto might not want to go to the wedding surfaces, as he and his mother talk about how much Beto’s father is missed. Beto attends his mother’s wedding wearing the guayabera and takes advantage of the usefulness of the pockets. Starting with playful banter between mother and son, this picture book reveals stronger emotions under the charming text. Bright and colorful digital illustrations show Beto’s loving home, kind mother, and playful dog. Brief sentences share happenings with readers, while larger, bold text emphasizes Beto’s determination to avoid the guayabera. An author’s note provides details about the origin of this garment.