Flora and Ulysses Review written by the Ent on 2/19/2021 This post contains affiliate links, you can find out more on our policies page or in the disclaimer at the bottom of the blog.

The Flora and Ulysses Movie vs the Book

Know before you watch the Flora and Ulysses Movie on Disney Plus

Movie: Flora and Ulysses
Rating: PG
Age Suggestion: 5+
Running Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
Release Date: February 17th, 2021 on Disney Plus
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Family, Super Heroes
Themes: Family, Magic, Heroes, Writing, Reading
Warnings: Mild violence and peril, parental separation and divorce is also a main topic.

Flora and Ulysses Quick Movie Summary:
*No Spoilers*

Based on the book of the same name, Flora and Ulysses is a funny family adventure. Flora is a fun girl who loves reading comic books and spending time with her family. Things haven’t been going well lately and she isn’t feeling hopeful about the future. But can an unlikely hero change her mind?

Flora and Ulysses Movie Review
*No Spoilers*

Flora and Ulysses is a mix of a family drama and a light hero adventure movie. The beginning drags a bit while the story is being set up. Younger viewers might be bored with the first half hour, but after that the pace picks up and stays a little quicker pace. Is Flora and Ulysses appropriate though? I would say it absolutely is! The violence is truly minor (the most violent scene involves someone getting shot multiple times with a tranquilizer gun). The biggest warning I would give would be more about the family drama than the action. If divorce or separation is a sore subject, this would be a tough watch.

The characters are played wonderfully by the actresses and actors. There were so many fun people in this movie and they did so well in these roles! I especially loved seeing Alyson Hannigan and Ben Schwartz playing the parents! And we were impressed with the two kid leads- Matilda Lawler and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth.

We’ll touch more on this in the next section but we were pleasantly surprised with how much we enjoyed this movie adaption. And also very happy to hear the Kate DiCamillo (the author of the book) also loved the movie!

Favorite Moments in the Flora and Ulysses Movie:
*No spoilers*

-There is a lot of heart in this movie between the relationships of the characters. I especially loved the dynamic between dad and daughter.

-This movie is filled with little, hilarious one liners and fantastic short scenes.

-Ulysses has some really heroic and some really disastrous moments and they’re all done so well!

-The ending!! It’s just really wonderfully done.

Ulysses and Flora Movie vs the Book:
5 similarities and differences
**SPOILERS AHEAD**

1. Villain/Archenemy. The movie added the aspect of animal control, who plays the villainous character within the film. In the book, although she isn’t inherently terrible, the mother is perceived as the archenemy of Ulysses because she wants to get rid of him.
2. Characters and Storyline. Although there are a few small differences and additions, the overall portrayal of the characters and general plot stayed very true to the characters and plot of the book. The changes were all positive additions.
3. Family Dynamic Focus. The storyline of Flora’s parents does occur in the book, but the reconciliation and focus on their relationship does not appear in the book. This actually added a really powerful, emotional pull in the movie.
4. The Focus on Comic Books/Superheroes. Both the book and the movie focused on comic books and the superheroes within. This is very much shown through Flora’s father’s creation, Incandesto (although in the book, he was not created by Flora’s father). In the book, there is even more of a focus on the edition Terrible Things Can Happen to You!
5. The Ending. This is the biggest difference! Ulysses is released into the wild to pursue his own superhero dreams in the movie. But the book ends with Flora and Ulysses together, and Ulysses specifically states that he could never leave Flora.

Conclusion on the Flora and Ulysses Movie vs Book:

Overall, the movie stays very faithful to the book. It adds a bit to fill out the movie and add some emotional connection to the characters. Most of the edits make a lot of sense and some even improve upon an already fantastic book.

*Keep reading for Flora and Ulysses Discussion Questions, and the Flora and Ulysses book review!!*

Flora and Ulysses Discussion Questions:
**Spoilers**

1. What did you think of the movie/book?
2. If you were to find a squirrel with superpowers, what would you do?
3. Which character did you like the most? What did you like about them?
4. Have you ever drawn superheros/comic books or written poetry? If not, what other creative things do you do?
5. Why do you think Flora is a cynic at the beginning of the story?
6. How would you have handled the rescue mission?
7. If you had to call someone to assist you on a mission- who would you call?
8. If you could have any superpower, which one would you choose?
9. If you could pick an animal sidekick with superpowers- which one would it be?

Flora and Ulysses Book Parent Review

Book: Flora and Ulysses
Author: Kate DiCamillo
Genre: Comedy, Adventure, Family
Pages: 230 pages
Published: September 2013
Age Suggestion: 6 and up
Themes: Friendship, Family, Love, Abandonment
Warnings: Some characters go through the trauma of being left by their family, divorced parents, and thoughts of running away

Flora and Ulysses Book Parent Review: 

There is very little in Flora and Ulysses that should prevent any parent from having their kid read this book. As long as the child can keep up with the length and vocabulary of the book, which is around the 1st-3rd grade level depending on the child, anyone could easily enjoy this book. A fun addition to the book is an occassional comic book panel that will provide fun insight to what is visually happening with the story. This is good for two reasons. First, to keep the reader on track with characters and plot points (some inanimate objects have human names). Second, it is just a fun reminder that graphic novels/comic books is a valid and enjoyable medium for anyone.

Why Read Flora and Ulysses: 

Flora and Ulysses provides a simple, yet very fun story for young readers (And older ones). Flora is a girl who is struggling with her family situation, but is thrust into an interesting situation when she rescues a squirrel who gains super-abilities. She must find a way to protect her new friend while also balancing being a daughter, friend, and neighbor to those around her. Her relationships with her family are very relatable and add an emotional layer to the overall story.

What to Check Out Next:

-Our other Disney Plus streaming suggestions!

–Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made review!

-Our One and Only Ivan full parent review and our curriculum for it

-Our Book Vs Movie review of the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe! We also have curriculum for that as well right here.

-5 lessons from the new Mulan movie on Disney Plus.

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