FLORA & ULYSSES by Kate DiCamillo

Bibliographic Data

DiCamillo, Kate.  2013.  FLORA & ULYSSES.  Somerville, MA:  Candlewick Press.  ISBN:  9780763660406

Plot

Flora is a practical, cynical girl who lives vicariously through the lives of her favorite comic book superheroes in order to avoid the dreadfully dull reality of her own life.  She is unappreciated by her divorced, self-absorbed mother and only has occasional visits with her timid, pushover father.  But when bizarre circumstances lead her to befriend a squirrel who seems to have superpowers (and the uncanny ability to write deep, thoughtful poetry), she experiences adventure, new friendships, and learns little known truths about her familial relationships.

Critical Analysis

Kate DiCamillo has written a touching story of love and family in this low-fantasy novel about a girl and her squirrel, Ulysses.  Ulysses is a sweet, loveable, always-hungry character who survived an unfortunate mishap and discovers newfound superpowers such as flying, super strength, the ability to understand humans, and an astonishing knack for writing poetry.  Flora is a lonely, unhappy girl who longs to escape reality because it holds no joy for her.  The two quickly become the best of friends and embark on a series of mishaps and mayhem that prove to be both humorous and educational.

An oddball cast of characters and delightfully quirky vocabulary truly make this an enjoyable and entertaining read.  Chapters are brief and draw the reader in with bizarre titles like “Victims of Extended Hallucinations,” “The Inadvertent I,” and “What It Said.”  With a nod to classic superhero comics, Flora mentally narrates the strange and exciting events occurring around her with quips such as “Holy unanticipated occurrences!” and “Destiny could no longer be forestalled!  The arch-nemesis must be faced!”  Fanciful fonts,

Perhaps the best part of the story is Ulysses’s love and admiration for Flora.  When he discovers a typewriter in her home, he is finally able to express the innermost thoughts of his soul, in a heartfelt poem:

I love your round head, 
the brilliant green, 

the watching blue,

these letters, 

this world, you.

I am very, very hungry.

Through a series of strange events and “unanticipated occurrences,” Flora not only gains a gaggle of new friends, but discovers that both of her parents do, truly indeed, love her more than life itself.

Review Excerpts

Original, touching and oh-so-funny tale starring an endearingly implausible superhero and a not-so-cynical girl.  —Kirkus Reviews

Despite supremely quirky characters and dialogue worthy of an SAT prep class, there’s real emotion at the heart of this story involving two kids who have been failed by the most important people in their lives: their parents.  —Publishers Weekly

Rife with marvelously rich vocabulary reminiscent of the early superhero era (e.g., “Holy unanticipated occurrences!”) and amusing glimpses at the world from the point of view of Ulysses the supersquirrel, this book will appeal to a broad audience of sophisticated readers. There are plenty of action sequences, but the novel primarily dwells in the realm of sensitive, hopeful, and quietly philosophical literature.  —School Library Journal

Connections

• Read other books by Kate DiCamillo, such as the MERCY WATSON series, TALE OF DESPEREAUX, or THE MIRACULOUS JOURNEY OF EDWARD TULANE
• Use in a study of fantasy books
• Include in a study of Newbery Award winning books

Awards and Honors

• John Newbery Medal (2014)