I am looking for a book with a story that my brother and I used to read in the 60s. We think it was called the Story of the Little Round Man. This funny round man lived in a ball-shaped house that could roll around very fast. In the story he saves some children wandering in the woods who find some beautiful shoes which, it seems, someone has left there for them to try. Tempted, they do try them on, but the shoes immediately force them to follow them all the way to a cave where a bad witch lives. They are her prisoners! The Little round man has to find a way to be directed to the witch’s lair. He puts on only one of the magic shoes, and, asking his rolling house to follow him, controls the shoe enough to discover where the witch lives, and can plan the escape of the children. The house is left outside the entrance and is spotted by the witch. Intrigued by the house, she steps inside, but the Little round Man jumps out from hiding, bangs the door shut, and orders the house to move as fast as possible with the witch inside (she’s all bones and angles), until she relents and accepts to save the children. I think the illustrations were black and white but can’t be sure.

Early to mid-1960s children’s picture book. Story about some kids (maybe one’s a young teen?) and their friend, a small troll who, I believe, wears a sweater and has a ’60s Beatles haircut. BIGGEST DISTINGUISHING FEATURE: It breaks the fourth wall — they know they’re in a book. Colorful, hip.