How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
"Listen to me," the girl said. "My name is Flora. Your name is Ulysses." Okay, thought the squirrel. She put her hand on him. She picked him up. She cradled him in her left arm. (9.8)
This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship between squirrel and girl. We'd like to point out that it starts off with Flora showing Ulysses love like he's never felt from a human. So while she saved his life, he seems to warm to her voice and touch more than her CPR.
Quote #2
Flora's father had said, "I think that your mother is so in love with her books about love that she doesn't love me anymore." And her mother had said, "Ha! Your father is so far off in left field that he wouldn't recognize love if it stood up in his soup and sang." (10.3)
To Flora, her parents' divorce is complicated. She doesn't get why her parents are always telling her about stuff, plus she doesn't really understand love in the first place. She hates romance, and she thinks love makes people do crazy things. (Well she's right about that last part.)
Quote #3
Flora's mother never called Flora beautiful. She never said that she loved her with all her heart. Luckily, Flora was a cynic and didn't care whether her mother loved her or not. (10.17)
When Flora tells Ulysses about the lamp, it's clear that she's jealous of Mary Ann because her mom shows the lamp more affection than her. It might seem a little weird being jealous of a lamp, but we get where she's coming from—she just wants her mom to love her.
Quote #4
I love your round head, the brilliant green, the watching blue, these letters, this world, you. I am very, very hungry. (20.1)
Ulysses's poem to Flora is sweet, perhaps most of all because he's the only one who spells out his feelings for her. Flora is touched by the little guy's words, even if William thinks the squirrel doesn't have a gift with poetry.
Quote #5
"I want things to be normal. I want a daughter who is happy. I want her to have friends who aren't squirrels. I don't want her to end up unloved and all alone in the world. But it doesn't matter, does it?" (48.23)
One of Flora's mom's concerns is that her daughter will end up unloved. Yikes, that's pretty dark for a mom to say. Still, it shows us that it's not just Flora who is obsessed with love—love really is a big deal.
Quote #6
He loved the world. He loved all of it: smoke rings and lonely squids and giant donuts and Flora Belle Buckman's round head and all the wonderful thoughts inside of it. He loved William Spiver and his expanding universe. (54.11)
When Ulysses sits down to write his poem, he thinks about his life. Unsurprisingly, he hearts Flora, but he also loves a bunch of other things about the world, too. For our part, we love his bright and cheery attitude.
Quote #7
But she did love him. She loved his whiskers. She loved his words. She loved his happiness, his little head, his determined heart, his nutty breath. She loved how beautiful he looked when he flew. (56.18)
Too little, too late—Flora only figures out she loves Ulysses once he's gone. Isn't it funny how much her words mimic what Flora says he loves about life and the world? It looks like he's rubbed off on her a lot.
Quote #8
Her heart clenched. Why, why, why hadn't she told the squirrel she loved him? (59.10)
Isn't this the way it always is? You realize that you love someone after they're gone? It's great for Flora that she does get the chance to tell her squirrel how much he means to her, but it's also important to note that the book warns us that not everyone gets a second chance.
Quote #9
Dr. Meescham looked at William Spiver and then at Tootie. She smiled. "And maybe, too, the face of someone you did not yet know but might come to love." (65.23)
When everyone reunites and is talking about finding unexpected love (like Flora and William), we realize just how smart that Dr. Meescham is. No wonder she's a doc.
Quote #10
Here I am, thought Flora. And my mother loves me. Holy bagumba. And then she thought, Oh, no, I'm going to cry. (67.16)
And she does. Flora's mom finally comes clean and confesses her love for her daughter, and Flora is willing to forgive her mom for kidnapping her friend, now that she knows she's loved.