Last year, Betsy Bird commented on the "Cluster of Chloes" showing up in children's books. (And, in the comments section, Lois Lowry noted the Emmas and Bens of yore.) A new crop of books seems to have blossomed, all starring girls (or other animals) named Flora.

Recent books...and counting:

Flora and the Flamingo by Molly Idle (Chronicle, 2013)

Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo, illus. by K. G. Campbell (Candlewick, 2013)

The teenage sister in After Iris by Natasha Farrant (Dial, 2013)

The porcine star of The Adventures of a South Pole Pig by Chris Kurtz, illus. by Jennifer Black Reinhardt (Harcourt, 2013)

Flora's Very Windy Day by Jeanne Birdsall, illus. by Matt Phelan (Clarion, 2010)

Day-Fairy-wannabe from The Night Fairy by Laura Amy Schlitz (Candlewick, 2010)

Flora Segunda series by Ysabeau S. Wilce (Harcourt)

Meanwhile, a quick search on the Horn Book Guide Online brought up these classics (along with a good many more):

The brothers Sendak's Circus Girl (Harper, 1957)

Flora and Tiger: 19 Very Short Stories from My Life by Eric Carle (Philomel, 1997)

Babar and Celeste's daughter

The little girl from Zoo-Looking by Mem Fox, illus. by Candace Whitman (Mondo, 1996)

Titular rodent from The School Mouse by Dick King-Smith, illus. by Cynthia Fisher (Hyperion, 1995)

Star of Margaret Mahy's Dangerous Spaces (Viking, 1991)

Borneo-raised teen from Other Echoes by Adele Geras (Atheneum, 1982)

Flora McDonnell's ABC (Candlewick, 1997)

Flora the Frog by Shirley Isherwood (Peachtree, 2000)

Flora’s Red Socks by Anne Harvey and Bernice McMullan (Bedrick, 1991)

Bunny star of popular Debi Gliori picture books (Scholastic/Orchard)

 

Any favorite Floras we're missing? Let us know in the comments!