My Little Pocketbooks: Review: Flora and Ulysses

Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures
Author: Kate DiCamillo
Genre: Children's Book
Age Range: 8 - 12 years
Publisher: Listening Library
Release Date: September 24, 2013
Audiobook: 4 hrs and 29 mins
Narrator: Tara Sands
Source: Free From E-Library

Book Description

Holy unanticipated occurrences! A cynic meets an unlikely superhero in a genre-breaking new novel by master storyteller Kate DiCamillo.
It begins, as the best superhero stories do, with a tragic accident that has unexpected consequences. The squirrel never saw the vacuum cleaner coming, but self-described cynic Flora Belle Buckman, who has read every issue of the comic book Terrible Things Can Happen to You!, is the 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 that 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.

Review

I wanted a light read for the last book of 2014 and this was a perfect fit.
After Flora saves a squirrel from getting sucked into a vacuum cleaner, she notices something about the little guy. Something about the way he looks at her, like he understands. Being a cynic Flora finds it hard to believe it could be possible but she is instantly in love with him and they are inseparable. The newly named squirrel begins to do the most amazing things to Flora's surprise and wonder.
I thought this book was cute and fun. As long as you do one thing...put your adult reasoning on the shelf because it's a Children's Book and most things don't make grown up sense here.
I think I would have enjoyed this a bit more if I had the book to go with the audiobook. The overall production of the audiobook was really well done. There is music when Ulysses takes action and a great narrator to read the book to you. But after I did a bit of googling I think the illustrations would have been wonderful to add to the story as well. (A little something that audiobooks are missing.)

So I bet you are wondering why did I give it a 4 star review and not a 5 star. Well there is the rocky and messed up child/ parent relationship throughout the book. Flora's parents are divorced and there is a moment in the kitchen with Flora's family that broke my heart. Then there is another character William Spiver who has been banished from his own family. Yes! Banished! His story was a bit of a heartache for me. So sad William Spiver! So sad! Why do parents have to be so ugly to make a children's book so fun and funny? I think this is a fun read for kids but you might have to read it and talk with them a bit about the relationships.