"Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures" Book Review

1.      Bibliography

DiCamillo, Kate. 2013. FLORA & ULYSSES: THE ILLUMINATED ADVENTURES. Ill. by K. G. Campbell. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN 9780763660406

2.      Plot Summary

Ten year old Flora is a claimed “natural-born-cynic” who lives with her mother after her parents’ divorce and loves to read comics. Flora witnesses a neighbor vacuuming up a squirrel in the yard and runs to its rescue.  Flora revives the squirrel, names him after the vacuum, Ulysses, and then quickly discovers Ulysses has super powers.  Flora and Ulysses have an instant bond.  Flora learns Ulysses can leap/fly really high, has super strength, and can even write poetry on her mother’s typewriter.  The two have their own adventures of making friends and even trying to survive Ulysses arch nemesis, Flora’s mother, who thinks killing Ulysses would be for her daughter’s own good.  The entire story takes place only over a few days.  Readers will witness Flora realizing she is no cynic after all, and family can work on coming back together and rebuilding a life.

3.      Critical Analysis

Kate DiCamillo gives readers a combination of a graphic novel and a fictional story that ties into a fun to read super hero novel.  There are serious underlining themes such as divorce and dysfunctional family units, Flora dealing with anger and resentment about the divorce, but readers will find themselves laughing at the style and language of the characters and narration.  K. G. Campbell’s pictures and comic book panels tell some of the major plot events so readers must view them beginning with the first scene.  The text, pictures, and panels work together to tell the adventures and troubles of Flora and Ulysses. 

4.      Review Excerpt(s)

Newberry Honor Book Winner – 2014

Texas Bluebonnet Book Award Nominee

Kirkus Reviews – “Original, touching, and oh-so-funny tale starting an endearingly implausible superhero and a not-so-cynical girl.”

5.      Connections

*Pull other works by Kate DiCamillo and compare the novels.

*Create a readers theater of a scene from the novel.

*Pull other works about children dealing with feelings about divorce.