Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo and illustrated by K.G. Campbell is a precious novel about parents who don't understand and squirrels who do.
If you've been following my reviews, you'll know that I adore Kate DiCamillo. Her works always make me feel delighted, and I usually cry a little bit (or a lot, looking at you Edward Tulane). Flora & Ulysses was no different.
Flora is a 10 year old girl who is obsessed with comics. She sees her neighbor vacuum up a squirrel. But when Flora resuscitates the squirrel, she finds out that he is strong enough to lift the vacuum up one hand. She immediately assumes he's a superhero. What follows next is the impossibility of trying to keep a squirrel as a friend when your mother can only see it as a dirty rodent.
I love squirrels. They are definitely one of my favorite animals. So it was thrilling to see a squirrel protagonist. And I know that this is a book, not a documentary, but I loved it now, and I would have loved it at any age.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys books that create a thin line between fantasy and realism. For anyone who has felt like they are alone in life and in need of a friend.
Favorite Quote: William Spiver said that the universe was expanding...That means there will be more of everything! More cheese puffs, more jelly sandwiches, more words, more poems, more love. And more giant donuts...maybe even gianter donuts.
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