Explore the rainforest with Benito in the picture book

MY BROTHER NEEDS A BOA

Written by Anne Weston        Illustrated by Cheryl Nathan

Benito has a problem.  He owns the only store in his remote rainforest village, and a pesky rat is driving away his customers.  His sister has a solution: Benito needs a boa constrictor!  But none of the snakes his neighbors find are right for chasing away the rat.  Benito rejects one after another until, finally, the perfect snake chooses Benito.  The vivid and richly textured illustrations by Cheryl Nathan are full of charming details, and children will enjoy identifying the animals that complete this picture of life in a rainforest community.

This illustration is from the picture book.  See how many of the animals in the illustration you can find in the photos below, which were taken in a real rainforest.

The  main character of the book is named Benito.  Let’s imagine he’s taking us for a walk in a tropical rainforest.  We’ll head for the rainbow’s end!

Who will we meet along the way?    A toucan eating papaya.

A tree sloth!  Is this a two-toed sloth or a three-toed sloth?

An anteater looking for ants in an old log.  It takes a lot of ants to make a meal!

What could the squirrel monkey be trying to find in this coconut palm?  Hint: it’s not a coconut!  Look up the favorite foods of squirrel monkeys.

Rainforest animals, even brightly-colored ones, can blend in with the dense foliage or leaves of trees.  Can you spot the macaw in the photo above?  You know it’s there, because you hear its soft mumbling, and you feel bits of almond shells falling on you.

How about now?  This scarlet macaw is in a tree with fewer leaves.

After your rainforest hike, you may want to relax and read a good book.

 

 

 

Book photos with Cheryl Nathan’s illustrations are from Star Bright Books.

Photos in Pavones rainforest by Patrick Weston