nijntje, known in English as miffy, is a character created by Dutch children’s author and illustrator Dick Bruna (1927-2017). She is a white rabbit with human characteristics who lives in the Netherlands. The first nijntje/miffy book – bearing the same name as its main character – was published in 1955. Since then, the nijntje/miffy series has grown enormously. In total, Dick Bruna published over 120 books before his death.
Some Dutch migrants brought Dutch-language nijntje books with them when they migrated to Australia. Reading aloud from the nijntje books was a way for these parents to keep their children engaged with the Dutch language and culture after migration, especially for young children.
nijntje/miffy in Australia
nijntje/miffy is a global cultural phenomenon, including in Australia. While most nijntje/miffy books are set in the Netherlands, Australia appears in the book reis rond de wereld met nijntje, published in 2012. In the story, nijntje travels around the world to Australia, China and Japan. At the end of the book, she realises that it’s also nice to be home in the Netherlands.
In 2020-2021 the QUT Art Museum in Brisbane hosted the exhibition miffy & friends. The exhibition featured drawings by Dick Bruna as well as work by seven contemporary Australian artists whose art is influenced by nijntje/miffy. This shows the continuing impact of nijntje/miffy on younger generations, and on Australians.
Note: The names nijntje and miffy are not written with capital letters because Dick Bruna did not use capital letters in his books, even where normal spelling rules would usually apply.
See also:
- Official Nijntje and Dick Bruna website
- Posts by Petronella Catharina reflecting on what children’s books she reads to her grandson in Australia – Dutch or English language?
