Children's book author Dick Bruna was born on August 23, 1927, in the province of Utrecht in the Netherlands. He is best known as the creator of Miffy (called Nijntje in Dutch).

Born to parents who ran a publishing company, he was surrounded by books from an early age. Seeing art books by Van Gogh and Rembrandt in junior high school sparked his interest in painting and led him to study to become an artist. In his late teens, he began training at various publishing companies, and also worked in the UK and France. At age 20, he returned to the Netherlands and established his distinctive, simple design style, composed of simple outlines and clear colors.

Around the age of 25, he became an in-house designer for his parents' publishing company, where he was responsible for book design and other projects. In 1953, he published his first picture book, and at the same time, the "bear" he designed as the company's mascot became popular. In 1955, he published a picture book about a rabbit called "Nijntje." Although the design was far removed from Miffy's current style, its simplicity won her the support of children.

She later changed her drawing style and established her own unique picture book style, using only six colors known as "Bruna Colors"—red, blue, white, green, yellow, and brown. She also made sure to make her books square so they fit easily in children's hands. "Ninetje" began to be translated into Japanese translations in 1963, and was published in Japan in 1964 as "Little Bunny."

In March of this year, the first film in Miffy's 57-year history, "Miffy the Movie: Treasure Hunt at the Zoo," was released. Like the currently airing TV series, this film is a 3D animation.
Miffy the Movie: Treasure Hunt at the Zoo Trailer