The One and Only Ivan
Katherine Applegate
Like Ulysses, Ivan the gorilla is an animal artist with a rich inner voice, and his short, funny, moving chapters share Flora's blend of humor and heartache.
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Find Similar BooksFlora & Ulysses
Children's Books
★★★★★4.5 (7)
A funny, oddly tender Newbery winner about a lonely, comic-obsessed girl and a squirrel turned superhero poet, told partly in comic panels and full of big vocabulary.
What It's About
Flora Belle Buckman is ten, devoted to comic books, and determined to be a cynic. Her parents have split up, her mother is absorbed in writing romance novels, and Flora has decided that expecting good things is a mistake. Then a neighbor's runaway vacuum cleaner swallows a squirrel, Flora revives him, and the squirrel, whom she names Ulysses, wakes up able to lift heavy objects, fly, understand people, and write poetry. Flora, schooled in superhero lore, knows exactly what this means: he needs a mission, and probably an arch-nemesis.
Kate DiCamillo plays this premise for comedy, with eccentric adults, a boy next door who insists he is temporarily blind, and a running gag of words Flora is proud to know. K. G. Campbell's illustrations break into comic-strip sequences at key moments, which makes the book inviting for reluctant readers and gives it the feel of the comics Flora loves.
Underneath the silliness is a quiet story about loneliness, a family that has stopped talking, and a child learning that hoping for love is not foolish. The chapters are short and the pace is brisk, so it works well as a read-aloud or as a step up for kids moving from heavily illustrated books to longer novels. Adults reading along will catch jokes and emotional notes that sail past younger listeners, and the result is a book that is both genuinely funny and unexpectedly moving.
Read this if you…
- want a funny middle-grade novel that also has real emotional depth
- are looking for a read-aloud that adults and kids will both enjoy
- have a child who loves comics or is hesitant about text-heavy books
Skip it if you…
- prefer grounded, realistic fiction without whimsical or absurd premises
- want a fast action-adventure where superpowers drive nonstop battles
Key Ideas
- 1
Cynicism as armor for a hurt kid
Flora's insistence on being a cynic is clearly a defense against her parents' divorce and her mother's distance. DiCamillo treats it with affection rather than judgment, letting the absurd events of the story slowly crack Flora open. Young readers see a character who protects herself by expecting the worst, and watch what happens when she risks caring about someone again.
- 2
Comics woven into the storytelling
The novel shifts into illustrated comic panels for some of its most dramatic or funny scenes. This hybrid format mirrors Flora's love of superhero stories and keeps momentum high. It also makes the book approachable for readers who find solid pages of text daunting, without sacrificing the richness of DiCamillo's prose in the surrounding chapters.
- 3
Ordinary superheroes and everyday rescue
Ulysses gains powers, but the real heroics in the book are small: a father reaching out, a neighbor offering kindness, a friend showing up. The superhero frame lets DiCamillo ask what it actually means to save someone, and her answer leans toward attention, loyalty, and love rather than strength or flight.
- 4
Delight in words and odd characters
Flora collects impressive vocabulary, Ulysses composes poems, and the supporting cast is full of quirky adults with peculiar sayings. The book revels in language and eccentricity, rewarding readers who enjoy wordplay. It can nudge children toward a dictionary, and its humor comes as much from voice and phrasing as from slapstick squirrel action.
Limitations
Some readers find the whimsy overdone, with eccentric characters who feel more like quirks than people and a plot that meanders. The vocabulary jokes and wry adult humor can go over the heads of younger children, while older kids may find the premise babyish. The villain, Flora's mother, is drawn broadly at first, which some parents find uncomfortable. Compared with DiCamillo's more lyrical books like Because of Winn-Dixie, the emotional threads here are lighter and occasionally get lost beneath the comedy.
Questions Readers Ask
- What age is Flora & Ulysses best for?
- It is generally aimed at readers around 8 to 12. Confident younger readers can manage it, especially with the comic sections, and it works very well as a family read-aloud for children as young as six or seven. Older kids and adults still enjoy the humor and the quieter story about family and loneliness.
- Is the book better than the Disney+ movie?
- The 2021 film is a lively, broader comedy that adds slapstick and changes details. The book is more inward, with Flora's voice, Ulysses's poetry, and the emotional story of her parents given more room. Watching the movie afterward is fun, but the book offers the fuller experience of DiCamillo's writing.
- How does it compare to Because of Winn-Dixie?
- Both feature a lonely girl, an animal companion, and a cast of kind oddballs. Winn-Dixie is gentler, more realistic, and more wistful. Flora & Ulysses is zanier and more comic, with superpowers, illustrated panels, and lots of wordplay. Kids who liked one usually enjoy the other, though tastes split between sweet and silly.
What Creators Say About Flora & Ulysses
Reviews from readers on YouTube. Their opinions are their own.
- Published
- 2013
- ISBN
- 9780763660406
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Category
- Children's Books
Book details and cover from Google Books.
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