The tale of the tiny man by Barbro Lindgren and Eva Eriksson

The Tale of the Tiny Man is a classic story written by well-known Swedish author Barbro Lindgren. It was originally called The Story of the Little Old Man and was first published in 1992. The story focuses on a tiny man who longs for a friend. He is treated very badly by the local townspeople who “thought he was too small and possibly a bit slow. They also thought his hat was ugly.” The tiny man cried alone in his house and wondered why no one liked him as he was always kind to those he met. He decides to place a sign on a tree saying FRIEND WANTED. He waits and waits for ten days but no one responds. He is so despondent, but fortunately a stray dog makes a surprise visit and over the next few days the tiny man provides it with treats when it appears each day at his house. Eventually the dog moves into his home and shares the tiny man’s life. The dog is protective of the tiny man and stands up to the town bullies. When a happy child strikes up a friendship with the dog, the tiny man withdraws into himself and goes away leaving them both. He wanders sadly through the forest for days and eventually returns to find the dog and the girl waiting.

This beautiful story is one in which many emotions are brought to the surface. Friendships need to be navigated and sharing this book with children as a read aloud will provide the perfect opportunity to discuss a range of friendship issues that can arise.

Themes: Friendship, Empathy, Loneliness, Well-being, Emotions, Prejudice.

Kathryn Beilby