Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures

Top positive review

An Illuminated Adventure of a Rodent and a Girl

Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2016

I’m a third grader at an elementary school in Wisconsin, and this is what I think about the book, Flora and Ulysses. The main character in the book, Flora, is a 10 year old natural born cynic. Well that’s what she likes to call herself. Her mother thinks she’s weird because she has a superhero rodent named Ulysses as her best friend. This book is also illustrated with comic strips that are great for allowing the reader to visualize the story. It will always have a kick of humor but stays true to the author’s style with a sweet, heartwarming ending. If you or your child loves a book where the genre is fantasy and always will be based on animals with human like characteristics, then Kate Dicamillo is your author, and this is a great book for you.

74 people found this helpful

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drw6121

Disturbing

Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2020

Not suitable for elementary children. Most healthy children have not, nor should not be exposed to some of the topics discussed, unless under the guidance of a parent or councilor. There is enough trauma in the world, why have children read about it for enjoyment.

13 people found this helpful

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Petiteblue

An Illuminated Adventure of a Rodent and a Girl

Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2016

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74 people found this helpful

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drw6121

Disturbing

Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2020

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13 people found this helpful

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Susie

Hilarious story with theme of trying to cope with divorce of parents. You won't be able to stop laughing.

Reviewed in the United States on August 2, 2015

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It all begins when Mrs. Tickman's husband buys her a Ulysses Super-Suction, Multi-Terrain 2000X vacuum cleaner and vacuums up a squirrell. Flora Bell, a young neighbor sees what happens. She rushes over and revives the squirrell. She takes him home and names him Ulysses. Soon Ulysses begins to develop extraordinary powers. He communicates with Flora by head nods and typing letters. Flora really needs a friend because her mother and father are divorced. Flora and her mother can't seem to get along. From this hilarious beginning evolves a story that will leave you laughing out loud as Flora and Ulysses get into one scrape after another. They make many friends who like them have unmet needs. The story becomes the adventure of how Flora and Ulysses interaction with people has a chain effect that will try the patience of some and bring great change and understanding to all the lives they touch.

28 people found this helpful

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R. Ekker

I was distracted by Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures

Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2014

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Holy unanticipated occurrences! Last week I was distracted from a good book (Peter and the Starcatchers) by a better book. Okay, it wasn't unanticipated because it happens to me quite often, but that is Flora Buckman's favorite line from her favorite comic, which guides her when she discovers a squirrel with super powers. Yes, you read that right. A squirrel with super powers. Bet you didn't anticipate that, did you!

In Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures there are many unanticipated occurrences and it all begins with a vacuum cleaner, a squirrel and a natural born cynic named Flora. There is a wacky cast of characters including a self absorbed romance writer, an air head neighbor, an emotionally traumatized great-nephew next door and a sad, sad father. They all tip toe right up to the line of being too wacky but only cross the line a little and in such silly ways I loved them for it. In fact, I won't even try to give you a plot synopsis because honestly, it's a simple and predictable plot but a joy to read and discover on your own.

Kate DiCamillo books are always wonderful read alouds, but this one is just BEGGING for a dramatic reading. I gave it to my brilliant eight year old for Christmas and we've had a terrific time either reading alone or together. This is a great book for sitting close on the sofa so you can both see the pictures but leave plenty of room for dramatic gestures which you'll probably find necessary as you read. The illuminations (illustrations) are basic yet expressive and they really enhance the humor. Honestly, it's hard to capture the funny wonderfulness of Flora and Ulysses in a review. You have to read it for yourself. :)

25 people found this helpful

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craspberry

Imagination? or is the squirrel really a superhero?

Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2015

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Imaginative story about a girl, her squirrel, her divorced parents, William Shiver, and a couple of other endearing characters. The story subtly delves into Flora's feelings of self-doubt. She's not sure if her mother really loves her. We also are introduced to William Shiver, who has his own issues of abandonment. I love how Flora fills a hole in William Shiver's heart with her kindness. If this book had been written when I was a youth, it would have ended with everyone getting back together; happily ever after and so on. This book doesn't wind everything up so neatly, but still it ends with promise. I can see why it won the Newberry award. I heard the author's acceptance speech and was so impressed with her. Excellent book--written for youth but with depth enough for all ages.

7 people found this helpful

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J. Norman

SUPER POWERED BOOK!

Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2014

Verified Purchase

Initially, I downloaded this book because it is the 2014 winner of the Newberry Award. I LOVED this book because it is one of the most amazing stories I have ever read. Hey, I know it's a children's book -- so? The story is resplendent with twists and turns that will touch anyone, whatever the age. The words light up the pages!

The writing is difficult to describe -- clever,touching and laugh-out-loud funny -- and other adjectives yet to be invented. The story is about a tiny squirrel that is suddenly transformed into a superhero with unimaginable superpowers -- the greatest being his uncanny ability to love others. Children's books have many themes but Kate DiCamilo's tale is not vague about the importance of thinking of others first, and loving them.

If I was fortunate enough to have a grandchild, I would read this wondrous book over and over to him/her. In the meantime,I'll give this special book to everyone I know, regardless of age.

Joyce Norman, Author

11 people found this helpful

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Susan B. Iwanisziw

Couldn't Put It Down

Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2014

Verified Purchase

I was reading for research and will pass this book to a young family member, but the story of Flora and the super-squirrel Ulysses was truly gripping. I completed the book--over 230 pages (including illustrations)--in a single session. With a cast of loveably eccentric and temporarily malicious characters, the adventure of saving Ulysses from death by shovel bounces along. pulling everyone, including the reader, in its wake. Flora, the heroine and a confessed cynic, at first wants nothing to do with William Spiver, a banished, neurotic child given to pompous philosophizing. But the children--both delightfully complex and brimming with precocious wisdom--soon discover the value of friendship. Ulysses, however, is the marvel here. Aware that a squirrel's life is typically brutish and short, he faces perils with the steadfast bravery of a rodent that has learned to live every minute to the full. Eating consumes much of his waking thought. But also poetry. As well as writing poetry, he lives it: "The gigantic eye was mesmerizing and beautiful. It was like staring at a small planet, a whole sad and lonely world....He stared at the eye, and the eye stared back. Was he dead?"
A heartwarming evocation of the world from a child's point of view. A stunning evocation of the world from a squirrel's point of view.

4 people found this helpful

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J. Blazanin

Cute Story

Reviewed in the United States on July 13, 2014

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Flora Belle Buckman, a self-proclaimed cynic at age ten, rescues a hapless squirrel that has been sucked into an ultra-powerful vacuum cleaner. Ulysses, named after the device that consumed him, returns from his near-death experience with super powers. He can fly, defeat a marauding cat, and type poetry. But not everyone is happy that Flora has taken a squirrel as a sidekick. Her mother, a romance writer, is the most unhappy of all. Among the cast of characters are Flora's dad, her neighbor and owner of the vacuum cleaner Mrs. Tickman, and Mrs. Tickman's great nephew William Spiver. Although Flora anticipates fighting crime with her new rodent friend, things don't work out the way she planned.

This is a cute little book with imaginative illustrations. It would be fun to read aloud with the whole family.

4 people found this helpful

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Hannah

... the past school year and they ranked it their favorite. The colorful characters

Reviewed in the United States on June 29, 2017

Verified Purchase

This was one of 5 chapter book read-alouds that I did with my third-grade class over the past school year and they ranked it their favorite. The colorful characters, BIG fun words, superb comic book style illustrations, and pure heart of this story cause it to stand out. Children of all ages and from many walks of life will relate to this book and the heart of Flora, along with her pet squirrel, Ulysses.

2 people found this helpful

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amywest

Fantastic book - have a 6 year old with autism who loves books.

Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2019

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I started with "Nuts to You" which was cute and fun but nothing like this. This book had us both howling with laughter. I tried to find other books like this - there isn't one. Its a one of a kind - wish the author would write a series based on these guys. My 6 year old loved it so much he made me read the whole thing to him (took like 2.5 hours). His favorite character? Mr. Klaus the cat.

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