Three Pockets Full rightly describes itself as a story of love, family, and tradition. It adequately captures the emotional intelligence children develop as they learn to take in and deal with difficult situations. Initially, it may be a grueling process to contend with as Beto epitomizes stubbornness at the thought of wearing a guayabera to his mother’s wedding, but it is not without diving into philosophical concepts. The positive side of the human condition eventually wins out as is exemplified when Beto realizes his mother’s happiness is more important to him than his pride. In the end, Beto finally comes to terms with his mother marrying someone who is not his father and the guayabera acts as the unifying link. This was my favorite part of the book since it demonstrated major character growth of gaining mental independence and sympathizing with others that cannot always be taught via reward or punishment, but learned through a developing mind’s human experience which is sincerely captured in this story.
Also, just as Beto exhibits growth, Three Pockets Full clearly encourages an engagement between its intended audience, their parents, and educational leaders. Not only does the art playfully appeal to the senses, there are open-ended questions for children to ponder as the story progresses and background information on the guayabera where adults can also be included in the learning process. From the beginning of the book to the end there is a whole host of knowledge at one’s disposal whether juvenile or adult. All in all, if you are looking for a children’s book that is thought provoking and uniquely illustrated, this is definitely the book for you.