Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo (review)

Ten-year-old Flora is a fan of comic-book superheroes, so it seems perfectly natural to her when a squirrel vacuumed up by the neighbor and revived by Flora develops intellectual and physical powers. Ulysses the squirrel can understand human speech, lift heavy objects, and fly, and Flora’s mother finds it all utterly unacceptable, planning to do away with the unnatural prodigy. Fortunately, with help from Flora’s dad, a temporarily blind boy named William, and William’s aunt, Tootie (operator of the powerful vacuum), Flora manages to finally convince her mother of Ulysses’ worth and repair a bit of their own strained relationship. The premise of a squirrel with superhero powers is certainly an original and intriguing one. There is also palpable angst in Flora’s conflicts with her mother, genuine hope in her growing friendship with William, and a satisfying amount of humor sprinkled throughout. The twee voice and excessively quirky characters, however, frequently threaten to upend the story while Flora’s mother’s speedy transformation from attempted squirrel-murderer to apologetic and loving mother also strains credulity. Campbell’s attractive, soft-focus pencil illustrations, often appearing in comic-like panels, add individuality and depth to the characters and carry some of the narrative. Despite the book’s flaws, this may appeal to kids with a bent for graphic novels and comics, or to those who wish they, too, could have a superhero squirrel for a BFF.