SOLVED. Blonde girl called Tiny lives alone in small cottage in a forest near river with animals and birds as friends - picture book early-mid 1950s [s]

[Lindy]

I feel like the guy in the picture - hitting his head on the wall. As I recall, the book was about a little girl named Tiny (definitely her name), who had short, curly blonde hair - about 7 years old, maybe younger. She lived by herself (no other humans) in a little cottage in a clearing in a forest. I don't think that the inside of the cottage was ever shown. The roof of the cottage may have been thatched and the cottage might have had diamond-paned windows. I think that the cottage was buff coloured with green trim. Animals, maybe rabbits, played in the clearing near her home. There was some kind of water - probably a river or pond - very close to the little cottage, where there were large white birds (heron, crane?) and other animals who were her friends. There was a bank, with trees and plants - lots of foliage - on it, which led down to the river or pond. The illustrations were vivid and beautiful. I can't remember if there were words in the book but I think that there might have been. It was a fairly large book - bigger than the Golden Books, definitely - but, likely, had only about 10-20 pages (guessing). It was a hardcover book and might have even been called "Tiny". I can't really visualize the cover but, if I were guessing (which I am), I'd say that it had a picture of Tiny on it and the trees by the pond or river - possibly some birds or animals, as well. This was in Canada and I don't know if it was even published in the States or not. It would have been published prior to 1959 and, probably, after 1950. I've searched everywhere and have come up with nothing. I know that the description is pretty sketchy, but I really loved that book - very calm and peaceful - so I thought that this would be worth a shot. Thanks.

[Pogue]

If you find this book, I want to know too. I love well done picture books.

[Cheryl]

Could it be an adaptation of Thumbelina?

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Lindy, are you still looking for this book?

[Lindy]

Yes, I am, although I think that a needle in a haystack would be easier to find.

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Maybe....but we'll move to Unsolved and let other people take a gander anyway.

[N]

My first inclination was to agree with the Thumbelina suggestion, since I always knew Andersen's story under the title Little Tiny, with Arthur Szyk's illustrations (such as http://vintageslg.blogspot.com/2012/0...) but I did some searching in AMICUS and wonder if it might be Tiny, the animal's foundling by Eric Axelson? I can't find much about it except that it seems to be a rare children's book, maybe published in the early 1950's. The illustrations by Ana Mae Seagren (Ann Mari Sjogren) do look wonderful, if the cover is anything to go by.
Another couple of possibilities from the AMICUS catalogue might be The story of Tiny the snail hunter by Nimet Bala (1952) or Tiny and her vanity by Davis Holcomb (ca. 1880, but perhaps reprinted; that one you can read online at http://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00024991/00001/1j) -- but those seem unlikely; I'm just taking wild guesses at children's books in the Canadian national library published prior to 1959 with title characters named "Tiny".

[Lindy]

Nancy, you are brilliant! Yes, it is Tiny, the Animals' Foundling. Simply seeing the cover is like getting a present. Thank you so much!!
Lindy
xo

[N]

I'm so glad!