Flora & Ulysses

DiCamillo, K., & Campbell, K. G. (2013). Flora & Ulysses : The illuminated adventures. Somerville, Mass.: Candlewick Press.

Plot Summary:

Flora has an air of seriousness and is self-proclaimed ­“natural-born cynic,” she quickly becomes best friends with a squirrel that she names Ulysses who she rescued from a vacuum cleaner. Flora’s favorite thing to read is a comic book titled Terrible Things Can Happen to You!  which allows her to think of things that most children her age can not.  She quickly learns that that he isn’t an ordinary squirrel, but one that has super powers, can fly, can understand when people speak, and can even type.  Flora along with her neighbor Tootie, and her great-nephew, William Spiver, who believes that his body is reacting to trauma by causing him to be blind, are very interested in Ulysses.  Flora’s divorced mom is also interested in Ulysses, interested in getting rid of him. Flora tries to explain to her mother that she isn’t much like her mother’s most prized possession of a porcelain shepherdess lamp, who she’s named MaryAnn.   Flora learns a lot about herself, her mother, & her father while on the adventure she sets off with her neighbor and great nephew as they are trying to save Ulysses from his arch-nemesis, Phyllis, her mother.

Analysis:

DiCamillo uses simple text to tell a deeper story.  This story mainly reads from Flora’s view point, Flora is a relatable character, she is an independent young girl whose parents are divorced and she doesn’t feel like her mother likes her. DiCamillo is successful at balancing the literary quality and popular appeal in this story.  The relatable themes found in this book are those of acceptance, family bonds, friendships, and truth. Campbell’s pencil sketch illustrations and comic book panels are charming and draw interest. The illustrations would allow it to be almost a hybrid of a traditional chapter book and a graphic novel.  The book would be a great (silly) read aloud.

Review Excerpts:

Newbery Medal 2014

Reviewed by Booklist starred, June 2013 “ Newbery winner DiCamillo is a master storyteller, and not just because she creates characters who dance off the pages and plots, whether epic or small, that never fail to engage and delight readers. Her biggest strength is exposing the truths that open and heal the human heart. She believes in possibilities and forgiveness and teaches her audience that the salt of life can be cut with the right measure of love.”

Reviewed by New York Times, September 2013 “The chapters are short and choppy and the antics so off-the-wall, parents looking for a peaceful bedtime story to read aloud may be surprised by how riled up young listeners get. But isn’t that the fun of DiCamillo’s books? In “Flora and Ulysses,” longtime fans will find a happy marriage of Mercy Watson’s warmth and wackiness and Edward Tulane’s gentle life lessons. In Flora, they will find a girl worth knowing, and one they will remember.”

Reviewed by Horn Book, January 2014 “DiCamillo imbues this novel with emotion by focusing on larger life issues such as loss and abandonment, acceptance of difference, loneliness, love, overcoming fears, and the complexity of relationships.”

Reviewed By CCBC, undated “Ulysses may not be able to save the world, but he just might be able to save Flora, restoring her belief in friendship and family. Kate DiCamillo’s witty, wonderful work of magical realism is patently absurd with its flights of fancy and wordplay, but that’s its charm. The lively prose narrative is punctuated by interludes of black-and-white panel illustrations by K. G. Campbell that showcase small vignettes of action while referencing the comic-book form.”

Reviewed by Kirkus starred, July 01, 2013 “Original, touching and oh-so-funny tale starring an endearingly implausible superhero and a not-so-cynical girl.”

Connections:

Flora & Ulysses Book Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXYPDEKzvvY

Text-to-Text Connection-Read other books by Kate DiCamillo
-The Tale of Despereaux ISBN 9781467693707

-Raymie Nightingale ISBN 978-0763681173