Miffy Comes to Nickelodeon

Nickelodeon welcomes the beloved bunny Miffy to its preschool platforms with the launch of the brand-new series Miffy’s Adventures Big and Small on the Nick Jr. channel and the addition of the classic Miffy and Friends library to NOGGIN, Nickelodeon’s video subscription service for preschoolers, beginning Monday, October 3. Each series follows the everyday explorations and adventures of Miffy, a smart little bunny who sees the world through the eyes of a preschooler. Both of the Miffy shows are based on the award-winning book series by Dutch author-illustrator Dick Bruna.

Miffy’s Adventures Big and Small offers a new take on the classic series and follows Miffy as she goes out with her friends to discover the exciting world around her. Through a simple narrative, the CG-animated show features active stories and dialogue, along with emotional experiences relatable to preschoolers. Miffy’s Adventures Big and Small is commissioned by Mercis Media BV and produced by Blue Zoo Productions Ltd in London. Miffy and Friends is an internationally acclaimed, stop-motion animated series that weaves together simple animated tales with interactive games in which Miffy helps preschoolers learn early mathematics, colors and vocabulary.

In the series premiere of Miffy’s Adventures Big and Small, “Miffy and the Puddles/Miffy and the Dragon/Miffy the Farmer,” on Monday, Oct. 3, at 2 p.m., Miffy discovers she can play all her favorite games indoors when it’s raining outside. Then, Uncle Pilot surprises Miffy with a dragon-related present and Miffy is given a seed that grows into a sunflower.

About Miffy

Miffy was “born” on June 21, 1955, as Nijntje, when Dutch artist Dick Bruna first drew the character to entertain his young son while on a rainy seaside holiday in Holland. The series of picture books which followed used simple illustrations and rhyming text to explore the universal experiences of childhood, immediately earning Bruna international critical acclaim as an author and artist. Over sixty years later, the Miffy books have sold more than 85 million copies, and are currently published in more than 50 languages.

Founded in 1971 and based in the Netherlands, Mercis bv owns the copyright to Miffy and Friends and is the brand’s worldwide licensor. It has over 250 licensees for Miffy worldwide, featuring over 10,000 unique products, including videos, plush, apparel, toys and accessories. Dick Bruna’s books, over 120 titles, help young children understand the world around them with familiar story lines. Big Tent Entertainment is the North American licensing agent for Miffy and Friends.

About Dick Bruna

Dick Bruna was born in Utrecht on 23 August 1927 as Hendrikus Magdalenus Bruna. Dick’s father was a publisher for A.W. Bruna & Zoon, the  company founded by his great-grandfather in 1868. Although it was decided that Dick would also join the family company, he managed to convince his father that he was not cut out to be a publisher. In 1948, he enrolled at the Rijksakademie for fine art in Amsterdam, but did not feel at home and soon dropped out.

Having taught himself what he needed to know, Dick joined A.W. Bruna & Zoon as a designer in 1951 and went on to create around 2,000 book covers and posters, mainly for the Black Bear pocket editions. He also designed posters and logos for clients such as the City of Utrecht, Het Groene Kruis (a maternity care organisation), and Veilig Verkeer Nederland (a road safety organisation). He began creating picture books in 1953, eventually publishing more than 120 in total. After he stopped designing book covers, Dick continued to produce new books and did a great deal of work for worthy causes such as UNICEF, the Aids Fund and the Netherlands Foundation for Children’s Welfare Stamps. Until his retirement in the summer of 2011, Dick Bruna continued to cycle to work in his studio every day.