Lynne Foster

“A beautiful book, lively yet information-packed. Terrific illustrations throughout.* Excellent handling of all elements. A fine educational piece that should provide good reading material for the curious youngster. I enjoyed the way this book was written to make the reader feel part of the canyon and respect it. Excellent activity book. Doesn’t talk down to young readers. Scientific subjects explained simply and clearly. Overall, an outstanding juvenile publication.”
*Illustrated by Margaret Sanfilippo

“An engaging account of how people and the canyon have interacted--the various Native American groups that dwelt there, the first European explorers (who viewed it as an insurmountable barrier), the 19th century geologists and mapmakers (who were awed by it), and the prospectors (who found little worth mining until they turned to tourism). Two final chapters prepare readers for an actual trip to the canyon by describing the flora and fauna to be seen there. Careful observation is encouraged, and helpful, practical advice about how to plan walks and hikes is given. Illustrated throughout with maps, drawings, and 19th century black-and-white photographs.”

“By way of an imaginary time machine, young readers travel back to the earth’s beginnings to witness how the Grand Canyon became grand.

In chapter after chapter, readers have the fun of meeting the first canyon people, and share in the exciting times of the early adventurers. In the last chapter they see the canyon’s plants, animals, and colorful layers of rock close up.

But Exploring the Grand Canyon doesn’t end with the last chapter. There’s more:

A selection of easy hikes
A chronology of human and geological events
A selection of guided activities
An index and annotated list of books for further discovery.”

“The illustrations and text of this work . . . give it a polished and dignified look. The book will sneak up on unsuspecting young readers and actually enlighten them on geology, history, archaeology, and ecology.

The author uses a trip in a Time Machine to introduce the young reader to some fairly academic material on the formation of the rock layers in the canyon.

Human history in the canyon is woven around the unique historic photographs and research. . . . For exploration of natural history in the canyon, the reader is taken on a backpacking trip from rim to river in an “imaginary adventure.”

Fun to read, yet informative . . . the adult might try and sneak a peek at [the book] too, if the young folks put it down long enough.”
ISBN 0-938216-33-3