Reviews - Bicycling with Butterflies: My 10,201-Mile Journey Following the Monarch Migration

184 reviews for:

Bicycling with Butterflies: My 10,201-Mile Journey Following the Monarch Migration

Sara Dykman

3.73 AVERAGE

oviedorose's review

3.0

adventurous emotional hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective

This nonfiction book follows the author on a solo bike tour following the monarch butterfly migration. She set out on this tour to help raise awareness about the problems the monarchs face. Dykman biked from the monarchs’ wintering grounds in Mexico to Canada and back. She gave presentations at schools and community centers along her route, teaching people how they can help the monarch butterflies.

I enjoyed this book. I was drawn to it because I enjoy cycling, but I can’t fathom such a long bike tour. I wanted to see what that would be like.

Dykman is obviously very passionate about conservation. I liked reading about how the book combines her passions with the practical matters of a long bike tour and scientific information. She does an excellent job presenting science and conservation information in an engaging way.

There are some points in the story where Dykman gets a little preachy about conservation, but it is one of her passions, so that could be excused. It’s not overwhelming, and I actually finished this book admiring her dedication to her cause.

This is a great book for teens and adults!

kraeberry's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous emotional hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

I really enjoyed this book. It is serious and informative about the plight of the monarchs and what we can do about it. It is also a very beautiful and hopeful memoir. I thought it was a great book about climate change and the effects on a septic species and their migration while also being an interesting look at a unique travel experience.

bigpaw's review

2.75

adventurous informative medium-paced

I was hoping for more of a bicycle touring book, but that definitely took a backseat to the monarchs. I went in hoping for a bicycle travel memoir with some science and biology, but this was more of a naturalist's guide to monarch migration with occasional biking thrown in.

The monarchs are inherently not as interesting to me, and unfortunately Dykman wasn't engaging enough to overcome that. I found her frustrating as a travel companion, and her frequent explosive anger left me exhausted. Her goal was to inspire, but I wasn't feeling inspired by the end. I don't know, so much of this book left me feeling frustrated, but maybe someone else will find more value in it than I did.