This book is such a fun read that doesn't go too far beyond believable. Toulouse comes into town as a new student and is a very different looking student. Woodrow decides that he will befriend Toulouse because he has always been the one teased for being "different." He defends his new friend from the bullies at school and in turn finds out he has some pretty spectacular talents. How does he do it?! Why does he always have to wear a hat? What was that he regurgitated onto the desk in class? Woodrow finds out Toulouse is not what he has been pretending to be and creates a pretty great friend along the way. ( )

Personal reflection: Odd, Weird and Little was a fun read, although it was a bit hard for me to sink my teeth into. Obviously aimed at a younger audience, in order to accommodate the creative plot the characters had to be a little too 1 dimensional for me to really get into it. For the same reason, it was also a little too short of a read to absorb my attention fully. The plot had a great morale theme to it though, perfect for teaching younger impressionable readers how to deal with schoolyard bullies and the importance and magic of friendship. An easy read to absorb you for a few hours on a rainy afternoon when all you want to do is stay in bed :) ( )

When Toulouse Hulot moves to school from Quebec, Woodrow is drawn to him almost immediately; it seems inevitable that they are destined to be friends. Toulouse is different from anyone Woodrow has ever met (to begin with he is really short and he dresses like a dapper old man, carries an official briefcase, and is strangely silent at first, except for some small hooting sounds). Together the two are bonded by the attention and actions of the school bullies, and a love of fly-fishing. The reader never quite is told the truth of Toulouse’s identity, but it can be inferred by the descriptive words odd, weird, and little, and a variety of other clues.

This is a solid, sweet story for 3rd – 5th grader readers, and a good addition to stories about friendship regardless of differences, and bullying coping skills.
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This was a wonderful and quick read. I was drawn in so quickly and completely that I finished this story in a sitting. It was a delightful tale of Woodrow and a new student in his class Toulouse. Together the two develop a deep and lasting friendship while overcoming bullies in their class. There is a twist in the story in that there is something very different about Toulouse. The reader and Woodrow suspect by the end of the story that Toulouse is Odd Weird and Little because he is really an OWL! I absolutely loved this book and would recommend it to many different readers.

Woodrow is the class outcast until Toulouse shows up as the new kid. Toulouse is very short, wears a suit, and totes a briefcase. Woodrow is drawn to Toulouse in a protective sort of way because he knows what it's like to be picked on. As their friendship warms, Woodrow finds the confidence he needs to stand up against the bullies picking on Toulouse. A warm story about bullying that acknowledges classroom dynamics and doesn't get preachy. I can see this as a good book discussion in elementary school. ( )