Flora & Ulysses facts for kids

Flora & Ulysses

First edition
Author	Kate DiCamillo
Illustrator	K.G. Campbell
Country	United States
Language	English
Genre	Children's
Publisher	Candlewick Press
Publication date	2013
Pages	231 pp

Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures is a fun children's novel written by Kate DiCamillo. K.G. Campbell drew the pictures for the book. It was published in 2013. The story is about a girl named Flora Belle Buckman and a special squirrel called Ulysses.

The book has cool drawings. These include full-page pictures, small pencil sketches, and even comic-book panels. They help tell the story of Flora and Ulysses's adventures.

The Story of Flora & Ulysses

Flora Belle Buckman sees herself as a "cynic." This means she often expects the worst to happen. She loves reading comic books. Flora is also trying to understand her parents' recent divorce.

One day, something amazing happens. A neighbor accidentally runs over a squirrel with a vacuum cleaner. This close call gives the squirrel superpowers! He can now understand humans and becomes super smart. Flora names him Ulysses, after the vacuum cleaner.

Flora tells Ulysses he must use his new powers for good. He should fight unfairness and help others. Ulysses soon shows he can write poetry. He does this using Flora's mother's typewriter.

Later, Flora and her mother have a big disagreement. Flora feels her mother does not love her. She decides to go live with her father. Ulysses writes a poem to show how Flora and her mother truly feel. But Flora's mother takes Ulysses away before the poem can be read.

Flora then puts together a team to rescue Ulysses. But Ulysses has already escaped! He leaves his poem for Flora's mother to read. Everyone meets up again at Flora's father's apartment. There, Flora finally understands that her mother really does love her. This helps Flora stop being so cynical.

Awards for the Book

Flora & Ulysses won a very important award in 2014. It received the Newbery Medal. This award is given to the best American children's book published that year.

The Movie Version

The Disney company made a movie based on the book. It was released on their streaming service, Disney+.

The movie was announced in 2018. Brad Copeland wrote the script. In 2019, Alyson Hannigan and Ben Schwartz were cast as Flora's parents. Gil Netter, a producer known for films like The Blind Side, helped make the movie.

Filming started in Vancouver in June 2019. Lena Khan directed the film. Matilda Lawler played Flora Buckman. Benjamin Evans Ainsworth and Danny Pudi also joined the cast. Filming finished in August 2019. The movie Flora & Ulysses became available to watch on Disney+ in February 2021.