The dune rabbit that conquered the world
In 1955, Dutch artist Dick Bruna was on holiday with his family in Egmond aan Zee. In the dunes, he saw a rabbit hopping. In the evenings, he would tell his one-year-old son, Sierk, bedtime stories about a little white bunny from the garden. From these stories came the first book. From the first book, over 100 million copies sold in over 50 languages. The rabbit was named nijntje — because that was the abbreviation Sierk used to try and say "little bunny." Around the world, she is known as Miffy.
Dick Bruna
Born in Utrecht in 1927 — interestingly, in the Chinese Year of the Rabbit — Bruna was expected to become a publisher like his father. Instead, he went to Paris, where he discovered Matisse and Léger, and decided to draw. Throughout his life, he cycled daily to his studio near the Dom Cathedral in Utrecht. He created over 124 children's books and about 2000 book covers. He passed away in 2017 at the age of 89. In 2006, the Miffy Museum opened in Utrecht.
Bruna's Style
Miffy is drawn with a thick black line, simple shapes, and only a few colors — red, blue, yellow, green, orange, and brown. Bruna believed that purple was not a real color and never used it. Each illustration was created using a collage method — he cut out colored papers and applied them to the ink drawing. He could spend days on a single page. "I do more with less," he said about his philosophy.
Miffy vs Hello Kitty
Dick Bruna claimed that Hello Kitty was copied from Miffy — both have a similar minimalist aesthetic, a round head, and lack distinct features. The case went to court and eventually ended in a settlement in 2010 — the details were never disclosed, but Sanrio committed to making changes to Hello Kitty's design.
Miffy Today
The rights to Miffy are managed by Mercis BV. After Bruna's death in 2017, it was announced that no new books would be created — Miffy would remain as he created her. But collectible plush toys, figurines, and collaborations with fashion and design brands are thriving. Miffy is one of the most recognizable graphic symbols in the world — a UNICEF ambassador and an icon of minimalist design.
Miffy's World
🐰 Miffy (nijntje)
A white bunny in a dress, with black eyes and a crossed mouth (×). Always looking directly at the reader — a direct contact that children immediately recognize as their own.
🐻 Boris and Barbara
Bears — Miffy's friends. Boris is a little boy with a black nose, Barbara is his girlfriend. Together with Miffy, they form a parallel series.
🐷 Poppy Pig
Poppy Pig — kind and helpful. One of the favorite secondary characters in Bruna's world, with her own series of books.
🏛 Miffy Museum
Utrecht, Netherlands — opened in 2006 as Dick Bruna Huis, renamed Miffy Museum in 2015. A destination for collectors from around the world.
Three Pillars of Creation
Minimalism
More with less — thick lines, a few colors, no unnecessary details
Eye Contact
Miffy always looks directly at the reader — a direct relationship, without intermediaries
Face as a pictogram
Two dots and a cross — yet every child in the world sees a face in it
Dick Bruna once said, "I have a small talent, and I have to work very hard to do something with it." He ended up creating one of the most recognizable characters in the world — from two dots, a cross, and a white rabbit from the dunes of the Netherlands.
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