He is always very patient and friendly during interviews. He speaks about Miffy as his own child.

Friendly old man
Living in a quiet neighborhood in Utrecht
There are children and grandchildren.
The public information about his family seems to be deliberately sparse.

Hendrik Magdalenus Bruna was born 23rd August 1927 in Utrecht. The Jewish family had to hide during the German occupation in their holiday home near Loosdrecht. Dick created many drawings and used every slip of paper to draw. He started a pre-university study to learn the publishers trade, a family business since 1868, but never finishes it. Travelling to London and Paris he visited many museums and met other artists. Meeting Matisse and Picasso in Paris turned out to be of great influence in his drawings. Back in holland he continued a study in arts in Amsterdam only to drop out again. He learned the art of graphic designer himself and returned to his fathers company.

Dick Bruna became graphical designer for books published by the family business. Over the years he designed and draw nearly 2000 covers for the 'little black bear' pocket books. His iconic designs were also used by many non profit and charity organisations.

He started writing his own books with 'The Apple' (original title De Appel) published in the year he marries . Using very little or no text at all and iconic drawings he is making stories accessible for very young children. Miffy (Nijntje Pluis) first created 21 Jun, 1955 is his most famous character. In very friendly pictures and rhyming text he tells the stories of her life. Not only the happy stories like a party with her friends at aunties house. Also visiting the hospital and the loss of her grand mother come by. He has written and drawn over a hundred titles about Miffy and her friends. The name Nijntje is derived from the dutch konijn, rabbit. Pluis, the surename of her grandparents, means fluff. (For some reason Rabby Fluff is not the english name.)

The creation of a single story will take him some months, after drawing the plot and the dialogs coloured paper sheets are cut into shape. The expression of the characters must be exactly right fitting seemless with the verses.

There is an on going series of stop motion television episodes with cardboard characters. Many of the stories have been translated into nearly all languages on Earth.

Less is more: Dick Bruna

'The most difficult thing is keeping it simple, to leave plenty of room for the child's imagination.'

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  Official Dick Bruna Site Nijntje
  
  Official Dick Bruna Site Miffy

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  Exhibitions: Het Dick Bruna Huis (Dick Bruna Home) - Utrecht located near the Nijntje Pleintje in Utrecht.
  
  

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  Touring exhibitions: A collection of real life size Miffy style furniture forms a travelling world of the books for little children to play and watch the stories and to draw and cut their own rabbit ears.