When a rat moves into Benito's store, his customers go elsewhere. Benito needs a boa constrictor to get rid of his problem, but how will he find the right one? The richly textured illustrations in this book are full of charming details. Children will enjoy identifying all of the animals that abound in Benito's rainforest village. Grade 2-4–Benito owns a small shop in a tiny rainforest village. When a customer discovers that a rat has been gnawing at the chunks of brown sugar carefully wrapped in corn shucks, she runs shrieking from the store. Soon, the other shoppers stay away. Worried, Benito tries unsuccessfully to catch the rat. His sister tells him that he needs the services of a boa and, when word gets out, neighbors arrive with potential rodent-chasers. One snake is too small and another is too big. When Benito is about to despair of ever finding the right snake, one shows up on its own and chases the pest away. The story is based on the author's experience in a rainforest preserve in Costa Rica, and subtle cultural detail makes the tale interesting and fresh. The exotic setting is brought to life by Nathan's brightly textured cut-paper illustrations. Her style is reminiscent of Eric Carle's and is both accessible and expressive. Unfortunately, the type looks dull compared to the lively art and the text seems to have been stuck on the page wherever it would fit. In a few places, it is printed on top of the picture and is a little hard to read. Despite these shortcomings, this is an amusing peek into rainforest culture. –Donna Cardon, Provo City Library, UT Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. The illustrations are vibrant and playful, engaging young readers to interact with the story. Author Anne Westons home in Costa Rica seems to have influenced the telling of this down-to-earth story of resolution, community, and patience. This picture book is highly recommended for any picture book collection, and especially for children who like snakes. -- Baker & Taylor ...subtle cultural detail makes the tale interesting and fresh. -- School Library Journal Anne Weston lives in a remote corner of Costa Rica, where she and her husband have established a rainforest preserve. The story for My Brother Needs a Boa grew out of an actual incident in her village. She writes both fiction and non-fiction and her work has been featured in national magazines and newspapers. Used Book in Good Condition