Two children prepare for, and later complete, a challenging hike at one of the wonders of the natural world in the children’s picture book Alice and Jack Hike the Grand Canyon.

Alice, a girl who enjoys family trips with her parents and younger brother, narrates the story of their vacation to Grand Canyon National Park during spring break. Having acquired a permit to hike and camp in the canyon, they begin preparing four months ahead, with a series of shorter hikes. Alice battles her worries about heights; the kids learn how to handle getting lost, and have their first overnight camping trip.

Their training pays off when they finally arrive at the Grand Canyon’s Bright Angel Trailhead. As they follow their several-day itinerary, they appreciate the clear night skies and uninterrupted family time, leading to Alice asking her mother at book’s end, “where are we going next?”

The book communicates the thrills, hazards, beauty, and sense of accomplishment that come with hiking or any endeavor that requires planning and determination. Hiking’s dangers are addressed in a gentle way that informs children without frightening them.

The art is simple and clear while still providing ample, and often radiant detail, like a two-page spread of a hummingbird investigating cactus blooms as the children prance and stomp through rain puddles. Such two-page images are used several times throughout the book, transmitting scale and vistas in a way a single-page image can’t.

The inclusion of Grand Canyon facts and hiking etiquette, along with a bibliography and trail map, make this a perfect primer for the real thing. But even non-adventurers can learn from this fictional family’s teamwork, cooperation, and encouragement; when Alice confesses her fears about the difficult hike back up from the canyon’s bottom, her father says, “We’ll take it one step at a time.”

This is a wonderful children’s book that will inspire an appreciation of the outdoors and perhaps some personal hiking adventures as well.

Also available as an ebook.

In Amy Graves and Pam Schweitzer’s illustrated children’s book Alice and Jack Hike the Grand Canyon, a girl overcomes her fear of heights on an exhilarating and educational vacation. 

Siblings Alice and Jack are going to Grand Canyon National Park for spring break with their parents. They have a few months to prepare, so Alice does research at the library and makes a list of the supplies they’ll all need ahead of time. They go on practice hikes together as a family and with friends. However, Alice is afraid of heights, and she is worried about the cliffs they’ll encounter. 

When the trip finally arrives, Alice is impressed at the vast size of the Grand Canyon. She enjoys learning about how it formed, and about the native wildlife, from park rangers. While camping, hiking, and crossing bridges, she works to conquer her fear of heights and learns about respecting nature. 

Alice narrates, and she is both amicable and candid. Her open-mindedness and dedication are reflected in moments as when she and her brother set up a tent on their own during a practice camping trip, and when she tells herself “you can do this” when she’s nervous to cross the Colorado River on a narrow bridge. Others fade to the background because Alice is the focus; her parents are present for moral and practical support, and her brother Jack is a tagalong companion and a source of comedic relief. 

The book weaves educational content into Alice’s entertaining adventure, as when she discusses the practical tools of camping and comments on the flora and fauna of the area. A nod to Native Americans, and to the fact that the Grand Canyon is a sacred place for their ancestors, arises, though Alice wondering if that’s why the place “feels magical” romanticizes and glosses over historical realities. 

The full-page illustrations balance and complement the text, depicting the events as they’re told in Alice’s words. Lush green grasses and dimensional perspectives—as when Alice looks across a bridge that grows smaller in the distance—make the settings idyllic and awe-inspiring by turn. The characters’ smiling faces are cute, and minute details, like the red cross of a first aid kit in Alice’s luggage, connect the educational material to the story well. 

Brimming with delightful information and a sense of adventure, Alice and Jack Hike the Grand Canyon is a fun, beautiful book for early readers. 

Two children enjoy a challenging hiking adventure with their parents.

In this informative and entertaining debut picture book for elementary school students, Alice (the story’s first-person narrator) and her younger brother, Jack, learn that their parents intend to take them on a hiking trip into the Grand Canyon. During four months of preparation, Mom and Dad enlist them in the planning. To help acclimate the group for the arduous climb, the White family takes daytime “practice hikes.” The four also go on a local overnight hiking trip to experience using their new gear and setting up camp. The rest of the tale focuses on the Grand Canyon adventure through Alice’s eyes. She learns about its history and culture, stargazes, crosses over the rushing Colorado River, meets other campers and a mule train, and traverses steep switchbacks to the bottom of the canyon and back up again. A notably polished collaboration between mother-and-daughter authors Schweitzer and Graves and illustrator Robinson, this simple but well-conceived story is framed 

around useful tips for safe, fun family outdoor trips, from the importance of planning and practice hikes to the value of protective gear for sudden changes in weather and “one step at a time” encouragement if a young adventurer becomes anxious. Robinson’s deft illustrations are colorful, illuminating, and lively, and the large, clear text is perfect for young readers. The aftermatter includes facts about Grand Canyon National Park and a resource bibliography.

Appealing storytelling conveys the importance of preparation and awareness for young hikers.

5* An Endearing Family Hiking Adventure.

"Alice and Jack Hike the Grand Canyon," by Amy Graves and Pam Schweitzer, illustrated by McKenzie Robinson, is not only a cute children's book with adorable pictures but also carries a great message about culture and the environment.

We start with young Alice as she and her little brother Jack ready themselves for a family trip to the Grand Canyon National Park, using a checklist as her guide. Alice brings the reader into the story with charm and personality, and guides the reader through their trek every step of the way.

One thing you'll notice right away is the wonderful way story and illustrations blend together creating a stimulating visual as well as hands-on experience. When Alice's checklist is mentioned, there is an illustration for the reader to refer to, thus inviting the reader to make their own mental checklist.

The message that hiking can be fun, but must be prepared for and taken seriously at the same time, for safety reasons, comes across effectively. This is also where Alice's personality comes across clearly, as she decides to do a little research prior to their trip and isn't so fond of the idea of bridges and cliffs. To prepare for the trip, they have practice hikes. As a reader, you feel as if you're getting ready to take the trip right along with the characters.

Another appealing illustration is the Bright Angel Trail Map provided at the beginning of the story, with clear markings of special landmarks that can be visited--Phantom Ranch, Indian Garden, and the Colorado River for example. On their hiking/camping adventure, they encounter animals, other hikers, shooting stars, and the spiritual feeling of nature.

"Alice and Jack Hike the Grand Canyon," by Amy Graves and Pam Schweitzer, is a wonderful story for all ages. It is a perfect way for families and young readers to enjoy a vacation vicariously, and also learn about meeting challenges, overcoming fear, finishing what you start, and, of course, the beauty and majesty of the Grand Canyon.

Reviewed by Tammy Ruggles for Reader Views (06/2022)