Miffy (Nintje), the Beloved Dutch Character

Much as Winnie the Pooh (a Canadian creation!) is beloved in North America, the Dutch have Nijntje, a bunny. While on holiday in 1955, author and artist Dick Bruna and his son, Sierk, often saw a small white rabbit in their garden, and he began telling his son bedtime stories about the bunny’s adventures. The name Nijntje is short for konijntje, which means “little rabbit”. However, the name is not easy to say in English, so the name Miffy was adopted for international audiences. To make the stories more real, Dick began sketching simple pictures in a very minimalist style. The first book was released in 1955.

In 1963 the bunny was redesigned into a girl bunny with a dress, as Dick felt a dress was easier to draw. The simple design and colours remained the same. Over the years her shape was subtly changed, but not in a huge way.

While Dick Bruna authored and illustrated over 120 children’s books, the Nijntje series has only 30, selling over 100 million copies worldwide and translated into over 50 languages. Miffy has also had many animated series over the years, as well as a feature movie in 2013.

New friends and family were introduced, and the stories were very relatable for children. Visits to the hospital, birthdays and the birth of a new sibling were just a few story lines.

Nijntje still remains hugely popular around the world. In Utrecht, Dick Bruna’s hometown, there is a statue of her and a museum which sees over 175,000 visitors each year. While Dick Bruna passed away in 2017, Nijntje still donates to many charitable organizations with UNICEF being the largest and Nijntje is an honourary ambassador.

Sometimes the best characters and stories come from the imagination of a loving parent. In this case, Sierk and his two siblings benefited greatly, as did millions of other children.

Since Nijntje’s favourite food is - you guessed it - carrots, why not try this recipe for wortel omelet met peterselie (carrot omelet with parsley).