The proportions are similar; big head and small body. Saira is more human-like, this is definitely not a human. This is a typical Knytt Stories character, only with better resolution and antialiasing. It's what a knytt looks always looked like in my head. I'm sorry I can not I live up to your idea of them
Edit: Well, obviously I then decided to change the character...
This was also a reaction with Cave Story Wii as the resolution had doubled, and additional details was added, like Balrog's nose and eyebrows, or some new facial expressions that you had basically never been able to see before. Some fans basically thought that it didn't match how they had percieved the characters. In this case, my response can only be something in the lines of what Amaya said (though this is not at all an exact quote); I draw according to how I percieve the characters, the added detail only lets you see how better.