Bibliography
DiCamillo, K. 2013. Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures. Ill. by K.G. Campbell. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN 9780763687649.
Plot Summary
Flora, a self-proclaimed cynic with separated parents, watches as a squirrel gets sucked into a vacuum by her neighbor, Mrs. Tickham (Tootie), and to their surprise, the squirrel ends up having “superhero” powers which Flora decides to name him Ulysses. Ulysses is able to comprehend Flora and enjoys using Flora’s mothers typewriter to write poetry. However, with every hero needing an arch-nemesis, Flora begins to realize this person is her own mom after overhearing her mom tell her dad a plan to kill Ulysses. After stopping at a donut shop, Ulysses is put in a concussion and Flora and her dad take Ulysses to the dad’s neighbor and ex therapist, Dr. Meescham. Ulysses rests there, and Flora’s dad takes Flora back to her mom where she confronts her about the plan. Flora and her mom get into an argument, and later that night, as Ulysses sneaks out of Flora’s room to go type, the mom catches him and forces him to write a goodbye letter to Flora. In the middle of the night, Flora wakes up and sees that Ulysses is nowhere to be found and realizes that her mom kidnapped Ulysses. She then goes to her dad’s neighbor, William Spiver, where Tootie is also awakened, and they all set out to find Ulysses. Flora’s mom tries to follow through with the plan, but Ulysses escapes and flies to search for Flora, ending up back at the doctor’s apartment. Meanwhile, Flora remembers to look at her dad’s and find her dad and Ulysses at Dr. Meescham’s. Flora’s mom then arrives at the apartment searching for Flora and confesses to kidnapping Ulysses because she wanted things to be normal for her but just wanted to find her daughter after Flora left. Flora beaks from her cynic persona and cries, realizing that her mom loves/cares about her.
Critical Analysis
There are different aspects of the book that make this a fiction novel that shows low fantasy, but it also has a quirky storyline to show a much deeper story. The comic-like illustrations make this novel not only look like a fictional novel but also a graphic novel. The comic squares, while there are a few, both serve as simple illustrations for the novel as well as plot developers as part of the story itself. This approach creates a casual feel whilst presenting an otherwise death-conspiring scheme from Flora’s mother. While Ulysses, a poetry-writing squirrel, creates an imaginary theme in the novel, the other characters represent a low fantasy theme, as they live normal human lives with some quirks to them. While this book may be uncanny, it also has an underlying meaning that many young children might find comfort in. For example, Flora sees herself as a cynic, not capable of having emotions and feeling as if her mother has more love towards a lamp than to her own daughter. During teenage years, many girls begin to feel that they cannot get along with their mother or parents in general. This is seen when Flora says that her mom cares/loves Mary Ann, her lamp, more than she does her daughter, and wants to leave her house to move in with her dad. When Phyllis, her mom, opens up to Flora and explains to her how worried she was, Flora realizes her mom does love her, and Flora, a cynic, finally shows her emotions and lets herself cry.
Review Excerpt(s)
- 2014 John Newbery Medal Winner
- Kirkus Reviews The Best Books of 2013
- Starred review in Publisher’s Weekly: “Despite supremely quirky characters and dialogue worthy of an SAT prep class, there’s real emotion at the heart of this story” (June 24, 2013).
- Starred review in Kirkus Reviews: “ The very witty text and droll, comic-book-style black and white illustrations perfectly relay the all-too-hilarious adventures of Flora, Ulysses and a cast of eccentric characters who learn to believe in the impossible and have “capacious” hearts” (June 16, 2013).
Connections
- Students can do a journal writing and their topic can be to imagine having a pet with powers. What activities would they do together? How would they react? How would they tell their family members?
- Students can write about having their own superpower. What would they be able to do? How did they get these powers?
- This story can be used for a character traits lesson and students can compare and contrast the different characters.
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