Description

Holy unanticipated occurrences! A cynic meets an unlikely superhero in a genre-breaking new novel by a master storyteller.

It begins, as the best superhero stories do, with a tragic accident that has unexpected consequences. The squirrel never saw it coming – the vacuum cleaner, that is. As for self-described cynic Flora Belle Buckman, she has read every issue of the comic book Terrible Things Can Happen to You! so she is just the right person to step in and save him. What neither can predict is that Ulysses (the squirrel) has been born anew, with powers of strength, flight and misspelled poetry. And Flora will be changed too as she discovers the possibility of hope and the promise of a capacious heart. From #1 New York Times bestselling author Kate DiCamillo comes a laugh-out-loud story filled with eccentric, endearing characters and featuring an exciting new format – a novel interspersed with comic-style graphic sequences, plus full-page illustrations, all rendered in black-and-white by a talented new artist.

Publisher Review

Original, touching and oh-so-funny tale starring an endearingly implausible superhero and a not-so-cynical girl. * Kirkus reviews * Flora & Ulysses is a truly unique book. DiCamillo's narrative is gentle yet engaging and intelligent. Her characters, though oddballs, are immediately loveable and relatable. Campbell's vivid, hilarious illustrations and comic strip inserts give this book an added dimension that does not come across at all gimicky, rather enriching the narrative, in particular the chapters that focus on Ulysses' point of view. Both warm and laugh out loud funny, it is a treat from start to finish for children and adults alike. It comes as no surprise that this has won the 2014 Newbery Medal, and well deserved it is too. Flora and Ulysses are sure to become favourite characters in many households and their story one to be revisited time and again. * We Love This Book * Flora and Ulysses is a lovely middle grade book; it's charming, kooky and features a very clever squirrel who I quickly fell in love with. It's fantastically illustrated by K.G. Campbell and is an absolute joy to look at * Wondrous Reads * Unruly adventures that are refreshingly zany * Guardian Review * Unique in style, this fabulous story combines traditional storytelling with huge illustrations and comic strips to create an exciting and heart-warming adventure * The Publisher's Association's Best New Children's Books Summer 2014, The Guardian * This book is Hilarious with a capital H!!!! * Guardian Reader Review * You should read it, share it and read it again! Original, touching, unique, quirky are all words that sum up this book but to really do it justice make sure to read it for yourself. * Armadillo *