"Bonnie Kelley-Young's narrative voice is well suited to the subject matter and its audience....The sound effects enhance the story and add to the sense of wonder." -AudioFile

Monarch Butterflies is a richly illustrated, large-format book that celebrates North America’s most recognized butterfly and educates children and families about what they can do to help protect these beloved pollinators from the impacts of habitat loss and climate change.

Revel in one of the most remarkable miracles of nature.

Synthesizes current scientific knowledge on the life cycle, behavior, spectacular migration, and conservation of this charismatic insect.

“What a wonderful idea for an adventure! Absolutely inspired, timely, and important.” —Alistair Humphreys, National Geographic Adventurer of the Year and author of The Doorstep Mile and Around the World by Bike Outdoor educator and field researcher Sara Dykman made history when she became the first person to bicycle along­side monarch butterflies on their storied annual migration—a round-trip adventure that included three countries and more than 10,000 miles. Equally remarkable, she did it solo, on a bike cobbled together from used parts. Her panniers were recycled buckets. In Bicycling with Butterflies, Dykman recounts her incredible journey and the dramatic ups and downs of the nearly nine-month odyssey. We’re beside her as she nav­igates unmapped roads in foreign countries, checks roadside milkweed for monarch eggs, and shares her passion with eager schoolchil­dren, skeptical bar patrons, and unimpressed border officials. We also meet some of the ardent monarch stewards who supported her efforts, from citizen scientists and research­ers to farmers and high-rise city dwellers. With both humor and humility, Dykman offers a compelling story, confirming the urgency of saving the threatened monarch migration—and the other threatened systems of nature that affect the survival of us all.

An introduction to the physical characteristics and behavior of monarch butterflies, including their migration.

Learn about the life cycle of the monarch butterfly.