Miiiiffy, a sweet little bunny.

Miiiiffy, a smart little bunny.

Miiiiffy, a cute little bunny,

Miiiiffy, and friends.

I can’t believe it, Miffy is 60, she hasn’t a single wrinkle or grey hair!  In case you can’t quite place who she is, allow me to jog your memory.  Miffy is the rather wonderful creation of Dick Bruna, an aesthetically pleasing, iconic, white little bunny whose very ordinary adventures have become more than a little extra-ordinary with the passing of six decades.  The latest incarnation will be through the powers of CGI as a new series of ‘Miffy’s Adventures Big and Small’ air on Tiny Pop from 2nd October, 2015.

Miffy on Tiny Pop

When my daughter was a toddler, the simple illustrations in primary colours would entertain her for hours.  T would sit with the square books in her lap turning page after page, occasionally running her finger along the black outlines of the drawings, before going back to the beginning and starting again.  The simple prose (translated from the original Dutch) about this sweet little rabbit going about her everyday life, taking a trip to the zoo and the excitement of a day at the beach, to recall just two, were the favourites and the one’s that T returns to today.

One of the books was the source of a family mystery, it disappeared.  I have to confess though that it wasn’t a mystery to me.  I hid it.  I’m sorry.  I just couldn’t let my toddlers get their hands on ‘Dear Grandma Bunny’.  With its plain speaking and simple, stark imagery about the death of beloved Grandma Bunny it was too much for me to handle!  So, yes, I hid it.  However, and with true irony, the children found this book when we moved house last year.  Before I could grab it, they pounced on it and devoured it.  I had feared tears and distraught questions, “why? Why? WHY?”, but neither ensued, they simply put the book in the box and wondered why it had been hidden under my bed.

In the midst of the toddler years Daddy travelled to Amsterdam frequently and was able to pick up the odd item of Miffy merchandise, I remember some excellent chunky felt tips in primary colours that he brought back (although, a little disconcertingly, you had to pull the head off to use them).  It was at this stage too, when I had T aged 3 and J aged 2 (far too close together and definitely not to be recommended), we happened across the ‘Miffy and Friends’ DVDs.  The catchy theme tune (I defy anyone to hear it and not be singing it for the rest of the day) and rather gorgeous stop animation shorts were a welcome and stylish respite to other animations.  The tales were true to the original themes of the books and so Miffy, Grunty, Poppy Pig and Snuffy all had adventures well within the realms of possibility.  The children could easily identify with Miffy going to school, Miffy dancing, and Miffy gardening.

It was with great excitement that T rushed into the kitchen at the beginning of this week to inform me that a new series of Miffy was going to be on the tellybox.  I have to say that I am looking forward to seeing the new series just as much as the children are.  They have made note of the time (7pm on 2nd October) and channel (Tiny Pop, Freeview 126) to make sure they don’t miss it.  I just hope that the theme tune doesn’t keep me awake in the middle of the night. Miiiiiffy…

Disclaimer – no cash payment was received in exchange for this article. All opinions expressed are my own. The stated time and channel of the new ‘Miffy’s Adventures Big and Small’ are correct as at 1st October 2015.