The little people and the big old fashioned car?

September 24, 2008 11:36 PM

Here we go with another one of those 'help me remember something from a bizarre series of random images' questions! When I was a kid (we're talking approx 1973 to 1978, with maybe a year or two on either side) i had a record that came with a storybook. From very vague memory, you listened to the record and you turned the pages of the book in time with a specific sound (though I could be wrong). Here's where the memories get very random (all of the following may or may not be true): the story involved tiny people, they lived in a forest, next to or near a house, children lived in the house (or were visiting the house), with an older man (a grandfather?), who had a big old-fashioned looking car.

And that's about all I can remember. I have this very vague impression that the grandfather knew about the little people (by little, i'm talking maybe 4 to 6 inches tall). The accompanying book had illustrations. I think there were two human children, a boy and a girl, who were brother and sister. And I think at some point in the story the little people were in the car, but that could just be made of shadows and moonbeams.

Does anyone else remember this book / record?

posted by planetthoughtful to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (10 answers total)

The Littles?


posted by salmonking at 11:51 PM on September 24, 2008

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Littles


posted by salmonking at 11:53 PM on September 24, 2008

Response by poster: Hi salmonking,

No, it wasn't The Littles, unfortunately. The 'tiny people' from the story I'm remembering were very much human-like, just tiny. For some reason I want to place them in forest-type garb (think Peter Pan), but who knows, I might actually be remembering Peter Pan.

But I'm pretty certain that the tiny people were entirely humanoid.

And reaching once again down into the very murky depths of memory, I think the tiny people were facing a problem, and somehow transporting them in the old man's large car became the solution. As in, they needed to find a new forest / home / whatever.

But thanks again!
posted by planetthoughtful at 1:55 AM on September 25, 2008

The Borrowers? Little people, lived in a house, had to leave at some point. I remember it as a child's chapter book, not a play-along record book, but maybe it was adapted somehow?
posted by sandraregina at 3:21 AM on September 25, 2008

Best answer: Sounds a lot like the Gnome-Mobile, though that was a movie...

The Gnome-Mobile
posted by saucy at 4:27 AM on September 25, 2008

Response by poster: Hi sandraregina, another great suggestion, but The Borrowers is not the story I'm trying to remember.
posted by planetthoughtful at 4:34 AM on September 25, 2008

Response by poster: O. M. G.!!! saucy, I think you have it!! The bizarre thing was that a couple of times I wanted to type that I thought the word "mobile" was in the title, but I couldn't figure out why the car would be so relevant to the title. I guess it's possible that the play along book (or talking book?) I had was based on the Disney movie? I don't think the plot in the version I had was quite as complicated as the movie plot summary, but it's also possible that I've forgotten quite a lot about the actual story as well. However, all of the elements I can remember are there in spades!

Thank you a thousand times over, along with salmonking and sandraregina and anyone else who gave it some thought!
posted by planetthoughtful at 4:46 AM on September 25, 2008

Response by poster: And just to put the matter entirely to rest... Here's a link to an ebay auction of the very item itself!! (and a link to a pdf screen capture in the event that the ebay auction ages out of view [note approx 718kb]: pdf screen capture).

Now that I've seen a picture of the booklet I recognise the front cover perfectly! Wow, that is such a fond memory...

Thanks again saucy and others!
posted by planetthoughtful at 5:04 AM on September 25, 2008

I remember that from when I was a k--holy freakin' cow, it's by Upton Sinclair?!
posted by darksasami at 12:27 PM on September 25, 2008 [1 favorite]

Nice one, darksasami. Reminds me of Pierre Berton's "The Secret World of Og" (actually, that was the first book I thought of as a possible answer to this question).

http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/The-Secret-World-of-Og-Pierre-Berton-Pasty-Berton/9780385659116-item.html?ref=Books%3a+Search+Top+Sellers

Glad the mystery was solved, planetthoughtful!
posted by salmonking at 11:23 PM on September 25, 2008 [1 favorite]