This is a story of the Grand Canyon during the early 1900s when it was the home of trappers, hunters, miners, and mountain men. The story is told through the eyes of a wild burro who lived the live of freedom yet sometimes lived alongside the men of the Canyon. This is based on a true story of real burro who even met Theodore Roosevelt. This is a wonderful well-written story with compelling characters. There is a continuing plot line involving a thief and murderer but much of the book contains episodic chapters of Brighty's adventures. The first half of the book is a slow, gentle read and I did find it hard to settle down with this book but the pace picks up at the mid-point and overall a good read. Recommended, especially if you are interested in this area. ( )

I remember vividly on my first trip to the Grand Canyon (at age twelve) my parents let me take take a solo hike down the first part of Bright Angel Trail at dawn. The story of Brighty echo'd in my mind as I spent that 1/2 hour experiencing the Canyon for the first time - it was a defining experience of my youth. ( )

Ever wish you could tour the Grand Canyon? Marguerite Henry’s story of a young burro, Brighty, who lives in the Grand Canyon takes the reader on an exciting tour of this famous National Park.

Brighty is a young burro who acts somewhat like a bird migrating from the upper canyon during the summer months to the warmer lower canyon in the winter. Brighty works of his own free will coming and going up and down the canyon as he pleases, creating a well worn trail and befriending all those he meets. One friend is an old prospector by the name of Old Timer who Brighty has dinner with nightly. When a stranger enters the canyon, Old Timer suddenly comes up missing. All that is left of him is his gold watch. This event brings Brighty a new friend, Uncle Jim the lion hunter who is determined to find out what happened to Old Timer. The lovable burro begins spending time with Jim on the upper part of the canyon, but he never really leaves the freedom of the canyon behind. The two go on great lion hunting adventures—even some with Theodore Roosevelt, christen a new suspension bridge, and Jim saves Brighty’s life on a few occasions. But the mystery of Old Timer’s disappearance is never far from their minds. Hints and clues to the incident are scattered throughout the story keeping the reader guessing. The all-knowing third person narrative breathes life into Brighty and provides a unique perspective into the life of the burro and life in the canyon.

This tale of murder captures the scenery of the Grand Canyon through the adventures of Brighty. Wesley Dennis’s wonderful pencil illustrations bring Brighty and his adventures jump from the pages of the book. The charming story is based on the real-life free adventures of a much-adored burro that lived in the Grand Canyon from around 1892 to 1922. Even when the book ends, the reader can still hear Brighty’s heehaws of laughter echoing from the walls of the canyon. ( )

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0689... ( )