The little figures in the picture books looked lifelike.
Tips
usage
小人儿 is the diminutive erhua (儿化) form of 小人. While 小人 can mean a petty/base person (negative), 小人儿 is always affectionate/playful — referring to a small child or a little drawn/carved figure. The erhua suffix completely changes the connotation.
memory
小人 + 儿 = the 儿 suffix shrinks it from 'petty villain' into an adorable little person. The tiny 儿 does a lot of moral rehabilitation!
