Miffy

The Miffy brand is a 56 year old classic publishing property which was written and illustrated by internationally renowned Dutch author and artist, Dick Bruna. Created in 1955 in the Netherlands by Dick whilst on holiday, every night he would tell his eldest son a bedtime story about a nice little bunny that scampers around the garden of the holiday home they are staying in. This bunny becomes the inspiration for Miffy with the first book produced in 1955 and over 85 million books sold worldwide, with 122 different titles published.

In the Netherlands Miffy was known as ‘Nijntje’ which is a Dutch derivative for the word little bunny, but people in other parts of the world found it difficult to pronounce the word ‘Nijntje’ so Dick Bruna’s bunny became known as Miffy because it’s easy to pronounce in all languages. To begin with Miffy had a different name in every country, for example she was known as ‘le petit lapin’ in France and ‘kleintjie’ in South Africa, but since 1966 she is known everywhere outside the Netherlands as Miffy.

Miffy appeals to children all over the world, she makes them feel safe and many children are able to identify with her and her adventures. She is uncomplicated and innocent with a positive attitude and is always open to new experiences. Miffy stories are written about situation and events that children can relate to, and they always have a happy ending.