Three Pockets Full by Cindy L. Rodriguez, Illustrated by Begoña Fernández Corbalán

Hi my fellow bookworms!

(c) Cardinal Rule Press, 2022

This past December, I was lucky enough to receive an e-book edition of Three Pockets Full by Cindy L. Rodriguez, illustrated by Begoña Fernández Corbalán. This pretty, colorful children's picture book tells the story of a young boy named Beto, whose mom is getting remarried and wants him to wear a guayabera to the ceremony. 

Quick history lesson: A guayabera, according to the author, is a traditional shirt that has either two or four pockets on the front of it, made with fabric to keep the wearer cool in hot weather. The shirt typically is embroidered and/or contains small pleats. According to popular legend, the pockets were made so a Spanish settler in Cuba, approximately 300 years ago, could pick and hold guavas (or guayabas) in his pockets. Today, it is a traditional Mexican wedding shirt, as well as Cuba's "official dress garment" for men (Rodriguez, 2022).

Back to the story!

Beto does not like his guayabera and comes up with fun ways to hide the shirt, along with a note to his mom, explaining why the shirt should not be on Beto. After all of his shenanigans, we find that the reason Beto does not like the shirt is one that requires a talk with his mom about feelings, family matters, and changes in life. In all, the story is a fun, fast-paced, family story with pieces of culture sprinkled throughout. 

The story is recommended for children ages 4 through 8 and I agree. While short, the story has in-depth matters that younger children may not quite understand - but would still appreciate the beautiful, colorful drawings! Best news of all? This book was already released last fall, so you can pick up a copy now at your local bookstore! Need more convincing? Check out the book trailer here or check out the helpful Reader's Guide provided on the Cardinal Rule Press website.

Thank you to Cardinal Rule Press for providing me with a free copy of the book! I enjoyed this cute story. Until next time! :)

 

(c) Cindy L. Rodriguez, 2023

About the Author: Cindy L. Rodriguez

Cindy L. Rodriguez is the author of the YA novel When Reason Breaks, (Bloomsbury 2015) and the essay “I’m a Survivor” from the anthology Life Inside My Mind: 31 Authors Share Their Personal Struggles (Simon Pulse 2018). She has also written Volleyball Ace (2020), Drill Team Determination (2021), and Gymnastics Payback (2021), which are all part of the Jake Maddox series published by Capstone/Stone Arch Books. Upcoming titles include The Doomed Search for the Lost City of Z (Capstone 2022), Three Pockets Full: A story of love, family, and tradition (Cardinal Rule Press 2022), and The Mount Everest Disaster of 1996 (Capstone 2023). From 1993-2000, she was an award-winning reporter for The Hartford Courant and an award-winning researcher for The Boston Globe’s Spotlight Team, and, from 2000-2022, she was a public school teacher in Connecticut. She has degrees from UConn and Central Connecticut State University and two teaching certifications. She is a U.S.-born Latina of Puerto Rican and Brazilian descent and a founder of Latinxs in Kid Lit, which has been celebrating children’s literature by/for/about Latinxs since 2013. She has presented at numerous local, state, and national literary festivals and conferences about reading, teaching, and children’s literature. She currently works for an educational publisher. She lives in Connecticut with her family, and is a big fan of the three Cs: coffee, chocolate, and coconut.

 

(c) Begoña Fernández Corbalán, 2023

About the Illustrator: Begoña Fernández Corbalán

Begoña Fernández Corbalán was born and raised in a small town in Spain. As a child, she loved to draw, so when she grew up she knew that she wanted to get a degree in Fine Arts. After finishing her degree, she specialized in illustration, and since then, she has dedicated herself to it. In her free time, she likes to sit in the sun in her garden and observe how the light changes at different times of the day, something that she tries to reflect in her work. She has worked with techniques such as watercolor, gouache, and colored pencils, but she likes digital illustration because of the great advantages it offers when working.