Monkey Dancing: A Father, Two Kids, And A Journey To The Ends Of The Earth

by Daniel Glick

A suddenly single father--and nationally known environmental reporter--takes his children on a world tour of some of the world's rare and endangered life forms while reckoning with loss, change, and the challenges of parenting in this frank, funny, moving memoir. After the death of his brother and the sudden end of his marriage, and after his ex-wife moved to another state leaving him alone with their two young children, Dan Glick embarked on single fatherhood in an unusual he took his kids on a journey around the world. The idea was to go see some of the world's rare life forms before they disappeared from the planet, and to do it before the kids themselves would grow up and chart their own paths. In the summer of 2001 Dan, Zoe, and Kolya took off from Colorado for a six-month journey on which they would see the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, the orangutans of Borneo, Javan Rhinos in Vietnam, the tigers of Nepal, and more. Meeting countless challenges--emotional, logistical and physical--the threesome shared experiences they could not have imagined and would not soon forget. Glick weaves accounts of their encounters with the natural world--and each other--with intimate reflections on his own reckoning with loss, change, and fatherhood, illuminating the commonalities between our relationships with each other, and our relationship with the earth we inhabit. For anyone who dreams of travelling to the world's most exotic places, for anyone already navigating that wild journey called parenting, Monkey Dancing is by turns fascinating, funny, and wise.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Memoir, Adventure, Parenting, Family, Biography

368 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Dena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed listening to Daniel Glick's travels around the world with his two kids. Interspersed between the personal was facts about endangered species, plants, and habitats. A well-written mixture of memoir, environmental fact, and the how we are interconnected on this planet we live on.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a wonderful book!
Glick decides to take his children around the world (not fully!) to many places in a five month journey. I think this was such a gift that he gave to his children. After a difficult divorce and the loss of his brother, he decides to plant the trip of a lifetime with his kids who are 13 and 9. Their trip is full of adventure, being exposed to different cultures, countries and people, and much soul search on the part of the author.
I loved reading about their travels, it made me want to travel so much.

[Rosie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This sweet memoir begins with a wash of unexpected news over a dad and his two kids. Mom's been having an affair, with another woman, and doesn't want custody. Dad's brother is diagnosed with breast cancer and dies soon after. What's a dad who is grieving the loss of the two most significant people in his life to do? Pack up the kids and take them on a trek around the world while introducing them to some of the most critically endangered animals. Because that's just it, isn't it? We are all endangered-- just a moment, a careless choice, an uncontrollable moment away from our whole world changing. the humanity of this book, the way this family grabs your around the neck and chokes you with their own monkey dancing, is heartbreaking and heart warming.

[Nathan · Rating 1 out of 5]

A fun and engaging concept, but one that should have stayed a DIY project for friends and family. Beyond initially wishing I could drop everything and go on a long trip myself, I didn't connect with the people in this book, and matters aren't helped by the fact that the author is portraying himself or his children throughout; the depiction rings false and shallow. The messy business of family life is immediately recognizable, but somehow uncomfortable; I felt more voyeuristic than anything. None of this was any of my business, none of it mattered to me, and so none of the author's well-intentioned but generic pleas for social and environmental awareness really resonated with me. A throwaway.

[Stacey · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I desperately wanted to like this book, it was very slow reading, with WAY too much environmental preaching and not nearly enough emotional discovery. If you like reading travel logs, it's well written. The descriptions of people as places are solid, and it certainly made me want to visit some of the locales (although in a much more luxurious fashion, I'll admit). But the story is sold as a "heart wrenching tale" - which I assumed referred to the kids, the death, and the divorce, and NOT to the extinction of some jungle animals. Honestly, if I had wanted to read Al Gore I would have bought HIS book. Too much environmental crying and not enough real crying. Pass on it.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall I did enjoy the book but at times I really felt like "really"? For example complaining about how boring and unconnected he feels to the children when he is doing "mom" duty - feeding them, chores etc. While I understand his feeling, this is something his wife (and most adults) dealt with while he was jetting off for his next assignment. Sorry but he gets no sympathy from me.

Also was it really a smart idea to write about allowing his (13 year old) son to smoke pot. Regardless of the fact he allowed his child to do drugs (which at present are illegal) the fact he wrote about it seems stupid. Does it count as a confession? Can he fact charges? Overall it seems like a bad idea.

[Karl · Rating 4 out of 5]

For those of us who wished we could take our children around the world - or wish our parents had taken us - this is a true-life story of a single father lovingly trying to instill into his two children an appreciation for other cultures and their environmental roots. Along the way, he battles his emotions over the break-up of his marriage, the loss of his brother to cancer, and the trials of raising two adolescent children who are intimately linked to the conveniences of modern Western culture. The love of the father for his children is evident and is inspiring.

[Jessica]

DNF so no stars. I really wanted to like this book. I tried really hard. But I could barely get through Australia with this threesome before I just had to put the book down. I'm sure the writer did not intend to portray his children as insufferable brats, but that's sure how they came off. I couldn't stomach facing an around-the-world journey with their incessant whining and arguing.

[Linda Rozanski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daniel Glick’s memoir is about a five month exotic trip to Australia, Bali, Java, Borneo, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, and Europe with his 9-year-old daughter Zoe, and 13-year-old son, Kolya. He was recently divorced from his wife of 20 years when she left him and their two kids for another woman, and moved across the country to California. During the same time, Daniel also lost his brother to cancer and felt guilty for not spending enough time with him over the years. The kids were feeling abandoned by their mother and also upset over the loss of their uncle. As Daniel was forced to forge ahead as a single parent, he thought this adventure would help heal all of their wounds and build a lasting bond with his new “family of three”.

As a long-time environmental reporter for Newsweek, Daniel knew the importance of teaching his kids real-time the challenges of the health of our planet, from the dying coral reefs in Australia, to the extinction of orangutans and rhinos in Indonesia. He wanted them to experience these incredible animals and amazing habitats before they are gone. His kids may have referred to their dad as a “tree hugger”, but truly they admired him for caring about their relationship with the earth, and how to protect it for their future.

Even though the book is somewhat dated (their trip was in 2001), it was still very relevant today. It was a good mix of travelogue, self-healing, and environmentalism, written honestly and eloquently.

Thanks to Betty for passing this one on to me!

[Joanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book couldn't quite decide whether it was a travelogue or a memoir and the indecisiveness led to a bit of failure at both. For a travelogue, we were missing too many details of the things they saw and the actual journeys. For a memoir, there wasn't enough emotional growth to satisfy this reader. And for both, there was an awful lot of heavy-handed environmentalism. Not to say that I don't agree that species extinction is a problem and sad and a quagmire, but the constant pointing out that he was bringing his kids to see this or that species because they won't last the kids' lifetimes just felt depressing rather than informative or helpful in moving the narrative forward.

Also, I'm not sure how much he consulted with his kids or his ex-wife about the level of personal details, but some of the shared information felt almost too close. Not just vulnerable, but almost prurient. Yes, families are messy. Parenting is hard. But I felt uncomfortable reading the intimate details of his fights with his nine- and thirteen-year-old children.

Not terrible, but there are better choices than this one out there. It did make me envious. I want to just pick up and disappear from work and school and everything for a few months.

[Sarah Ewald · Rating 5 out of 5]

A different kind of travel memoir... Dan decides to take his two kids on a kind of deja-vu trip. When he was a young married couple, their honeymoon trip was to Asia and India, Japan and points beyond. Fast forward, he is divorced (she found her muse as a lesbian), and he has two kids, and has lost his brother to cancer. His reason to travel was to show his kids the earth's most wondrous and environmentally endangered landscapes. Along the way, he confronts the demons of his failed marriage, and the loss of his brother, Bob. While they were away (this was in 2001) September 11th's attacks happen and he is able to see how perilous travel for an American can be. This was a very engaging book with lots of thoughtful insights about the place of America in the world. Sure the kids fought as a brother and sister can do, and can whine about the loss of conveniences, but they came away with a new respect for their place in the world.

[Darla Ebert · Rating 5 out of 5]

While reading this compelling story, I found myself in the way of feeling truly sorry for the author and his children. While they enjoyed a round-Asia family adventure time ( their travels are detailed superbly) yet there was an under-tone, a virtual layer of sadness due to the Mom's having essentially "checked out" to, presumably, "find herself". I would comment on this kind of a (selfish) choice but will "not go there girlfriend". It is simply a story of pure love between and among a Dad and his children as they find their way closer to one another in spite of, perhaps because of, circumstances. Glick is hauntingly honest and any reader would feel a kind of admiration for him, as a father and as a person.
Although, I do not for a moment condone some of Glick's parenting choices, his being an irreligious person probably explains a lot of those choices. The seeming approval and even encouragement of his children to use foul language, for example, is particularly galling.

[Todd Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book shared an a around the world adventure that a father took with his son and daughter, but it was so much more. The author describes Vietnam, Nepal or Australia in intricate details. His love for the environment and our need to be caretakers is revealed through the places they go to and the animals they see that are all endangered species. He also shares his reasons for the trip, following the death of his oldest brother and divorce from his wife; he wanted to strengthen his relationship with his kids. Reading this book you gain a sense of the tragedy he went through and the need to find your way in the world by taking the kids and exploring the dots on the globe.

[Carrie A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, a surprisingly beautiful story of a Dad, 2 teens and their travels around the world. It is also the story of love and loss, family, friends and strangers in a process of growth, individually and together. Read this if you care about family, friends, adventure, loss, the environment, ecology, travel and home. I learned so much about the world and the need to travel. Especially travel to places that are uncomfortable in their foreignness.

[Beth Rowan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really loved the concept of this story and their adventures on this odyssey. I just could not rate it higher as I never warmed to the author himself. There were too many lecturing moments, especially towards the end. I wish he had just left it about the tale of their brave adventures and stayed with an authentic voice.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the writing as well as the message of a father trying to raise two kids. There's certainly some nuggets of hope and comfort for us single dads trying our best.

The book also exhudes the privilege of a wealthy, white male of the early 2000's. Not unexpected, but it's a bit of a whirlwind of a trip of Americans making their way breezily through the world.

[Marnie Z · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not connect with this author/story... did not finish...

[Dana Prottas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fell in love with this novel, the characters and their journey. I loved learning about ecology around the world and their traveling adventures to grow, change and mourn. Deeply satisfying read.

[Em's Adventures · Rating 1 out of 5]

Can't finish it. The children were bratty, whining and annoying, their father preachy, irresponsible and annoying.

[kate gruetter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Took so long to finish this for some reason but so worth it. Probably a new favorite, at least for non fiction.

[Keri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but not fascinating. I could have used less data about the various environmental tragedies. The descriptions left me feeling about as compelled to learn more as his disinterested children. The family story is really the best part of this book.

[Adriane Devries · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the waves of overwhelming grief over a failed marriage and the death of his brother within one year of each other, environmental reporter Daniel Glick pulled his two children, aged 13 and 9, out of school and took them on an impromptu six-month safari. Traversing four continents, they sought to form a new normal for their diminished family unit, to embrace imperfection in exchange for a no-longer possible ideal, as reflected in their poignant and humorous journal entries. With work and school responsibilities postponed, emotions gained free reign in all their messy glory. Glick approached each resulting adventure with the self-deprecating aplomb of a newly-single parent.

The change in scenery revealed a larger world of hurt besides their own. Rhinos and tigers whose numbers have dwindled by 95% remind them that all species, not just American parents and children, are interdependent, and conscious measures must be made to recreate what has been lost. Perhaps our empathy for endangered species reflects, like the Glicks, our own search for safety amidst life’s uncertainty. Ultimately, as Daniel and the kids reaffirmed their bonds in exotic Nepal, Australia, Borneo, and Indonesia, they discovered that when relentless grief assaults you and all one can do is “let the waves lap and crash upon us whenever they arrive,” you must simply Monkey Dance.

[Anastasia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished this a few months ago and forgot to close it out on Goodreads. So, my thoughts aren't fresh. I recommended this to a few people after finishing it, but after a respite I'm less excited about the book. Here's what I remember.

I appreciate the perspective of a single dad raising his kids. I thought his idea to drag them around to see the world was amazing and brave (although he seemed to have a large international support network and money; with those resources I'll bet I could do it, too).

But, my lasting impression is that this book is Glick's vehicle to chronicle/monetize his post-divorce angst. We heard his perspective on the divorce -- and he certainly didn't paint a positive picture of his ex (who would?). But the whole thing seems like a less-than-subtle thumb in the eye, a way to show what an awesome dad he is compared to that selfish/crappy woman who abandoned her family.

This is not a defense of her actions. But, if I've learned anything it's that there is just as much gray in this life as the black and white.

[Tauri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It is a great combination of travel, education and relationships. Instead of isolating any one of these topics, the author gives the reader just enough information to go along for the trip. The educational aspect explains why the author chose that destination, the environmental and social history needed to understand the desperation of the situation and to safely travel there. The relationship portion focuses on the author developing deep bonds with his children through this extraordinary experience. He doesn't have to disclose their personal secrets and expose his children to the world. Just enjoying their experience and closeness is enough. And the travel is spectacular. I don't know that I will ever be able to travel to all of the places in the book in my lifetime, but I certainly enjoyed seeing them through the eyes of the characters in the book. I highly recommend this book, especially to globally minded, adventurous parents.

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great concept...traveling to exotic places with children to show them first hand the results of decimating a species through over use of the land and over hunting for selfish human-centric purposes. This book is written by a journalist and it shows. Daniel Glick should have lightened up a bit on this one. The journalistic style gets old about midway through the story. Maybe he could have focused more on just one of his plots...either the parenting/relationship piece or the conservation concept. If either of these was richer and the other a clear subplot, it might have worked a little better.

[Cat Urbigkit · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a travel biography with a very interesting perspective. Writer Daniel Glick took his young children on a trip around the world, prompted by major life changes. His wife left him for another woman, and his dear brother died of cancer. Double whammy - so what to do? Pack the kids and leave. Read the book to join Glick's journey, which provides an intimate view to his thinking, and his successes and failures in child-rearing. We all have them, but Glick write about them.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book. The author is a Newsweek correspondent and a fantastic author. He takes his two preteen and teenage children around the world. Upon this journey Glick is trying to make sense of his life after his wife leaves him and their children for another woman and his brother dies from cancer. It was wonderful watching the relationship of the three main characters change for each other and the world throughout the book.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I can't imagine packing up two children under the age of 13 and traveling with them around the world to such remote places (well, Bali isn't *that* remote*). I admired his candid portrayal of situations that I am sure other authors would have excluded. I also respected his realization that his ex-wife would probably want to remain anonymous (even though she can easily be googled).

[Lucius · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book shows that children can travel anywhere. Not only can they travel anywhere, but they can make the adventure all the more rich with their insight. After going through a divorce, Glick takes his two kids around the world to see some of the vanishing flora and fauna that might not be around when they're adults. This book is about enviromentalism, travel, and parenting.

[Christy S · Rating 2 out of 5]

Glick’s writing is cliche and unoriginal, and this is far from the top of my list as far as travel writing goes. Nevertheless, the family dynamics and the destinations of their travels were fun to read– Glick planned the trip so his children could experience the natural wonders that might not be around in twenty years.