The Magic of Miffy Bunny: 6 Things You Need to Know

While Miffy Bunny may be a fictional character from a children’s picture book, the joy and security children feel when they read her stories are real. Since her creation in 1955, Miffy’s popularity among young children and families all over the world has only grown with time.

Whether you’re a lifetime fan or just want to learn more about the magic of this white rabbit, then read on to learn 6 things you should know about Miffy’s historical and adventurous life.

Who Is Miffy?

Before we begin learning about the Miffy children know and love in both the real world and in books, let’s set the stage and answer the question, “who is Miffy?”

Miffy is world-famous white cartoon bunny rabbit. While her features are minimalistic, her face is one children instantly recognize. She has sold millions of children’s books worldwide and even has her own TV show. 

Due to her popularity over the years, she has managed to make her way off the page and screen and into the arms of children all over the world. Now, kids can have a Miffy Bunny stuffed animal, a Miffy Bunny plush, stickers, night-lights, and more!

6 Things to Know About Miffy Bunny

1. How She Came to Be

Dick Bruna, a Dutch author and illustrator, first drew this fun-loving bunny in 1955 for his first book simply titled, “Miffy.” The idea for Miffy came to Bruna while he was spending time with his family in their holiday home. There, he’d tell his son stories of a little white rabbit that would spend time in their garden. 

Since this bunny’s first adventure in 1955, she’s had over thirty more. With over thirty books created, countless TV show episodes, and even a movie made, Miffy’s played out her many adventures for generations of youth. However, she’s most known for her picture books and has sold over 85 million copies worldwide in over 50 languages.

Bruna, “Miffy’s father,” wanted children to feel as if Miffy was their friend, and her adventures were between Miffy and the child, and not their parents. For this reason, Bruna decided to have the picture books printed in a smaller format than a regular book, in a format that was easy for a child to hold and to feel like it was theirs.

Miffy is a name synonymous with safety. For many children, she is a secure and consistent figure in their childhood that they can count on seeing over and over again, and will never disappoint. 

Children also love her adventures and with every flipped page, are eager to learn about where the little white bunny is going to go and what she’s going to do next. She teaches kids the power of positivity, and to seek out new experiences and stay curious. 

You may be surprised to find out that Miffy isn’t “Miffy” to everyone. Her original name is Dutch after all, thanks to her Dutch roots. Known as “Nijntje” in the Netherlands, her name means “little bunny” in Dutch.

But this famous white rabbit doesn’t just have two names, she has different ones for those who read her books in French, Afrikaans, and other languages. However, since the early 60’s, Miffy started to become the universal name for everyone no matter the language. The only country that never quite adopted this name was the Netherlands, who still know and love her as Nijntje.

Since this cartoon was created by a Dutch artist and first gained popularity in the Netherlands, it only makes sense that it’s where she’s most popular. In the Netherlands, you’ll find a sort of Miffy culture that doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world.

Kids and adults alike love to visit The Miffy Museum to become fully immersed in this little white rabbit’s world. With lots of hands-on and interactive things to do and see, kids get a chance to be as curious as Miffy is in her stories.

This museum isn’t the only themed attraction in the Netherlands in Miffy’s honor. She can be seen all over the city of Utrecht and in neighboring towns. Her face is plastered on signs, and in stores. You can even stop into a gift shop for a Miffy Bunny plush, Miffy Bunny stuffed animal, or any other themed item.

One of the most significant Miffy-related events that took place in her home country was an art parade. Various artists were asked to create 60 life-size statues and decorate them according to their interpretation of the character. The event took place in 2019, and was meant to honor not only Miffy, but also Dick Bruna who passed away in 2017. Among the artists who painted in his honor was his daughter, Madelon Bruna.

While Dick Bruna may have referred to himself as “Miffy’s father,” and in his later years, “Miffy’s Grandfather,” she actually has a rabbit family of her own. She has grandparents, parents, an uncle, and even has a little bunny of her own in later stories, though it’s never revealed if she has a baby boy or girl bunny. 

This world famous cartoon also has several friends that she takes on her fun adventurous. Here are just a few of her friends:

• Poppy Pig
• Lion
• Snuffy the dog
• Boris Bear
• Elephant
• Barbara
• Melanie
• Dan
• Aggie

Fans can see more of this curious bunny and her friends on her television show titled, “Miffy and Friends” that ran from 2003 to 2007. Bruna also created several books detailing the lives and adventures of her friends.

The Magic of Miffy

Miffy is a childhood icon that kids all over the world recognize and love. She teaches kids the importance of adventure and curiosity and has for over 67 years. Catch her on TV, in the aisles of your local bookstore, or even in 3D form as a Miffy Bunny plush or Miffy Bunny stuffed animal. 

The magic of Miffy transcends generations and instills happiness and security in all the lives she touches, young and old.