Dick Bruna's little white bunny character, Miffy, who has captivated children since she first appeared in books in 1963, has a lot going on this fall. Miffy turned 35 this year, and her U.S. publisher, Kodansha, has not only released eight new Miffy titles in various formats, but has put more marketing muscle toward tappping a new, larger audience.
The fall titles, published this month, include two formats new to the Miffy series: sticker books and shapebooks. In addition, there are two new storybook titles, bringing the total number of Miffy books available from Kodansha up to 19.
Next month Bruna will come to the States from his native Netherlands to promote the Miffy collection. He will do in-store book signings at Zany Brainy stores, library events and media appearances. Zany Brainy stores are holding Miffy-related events during "We Love Miffy Weekend" this month and are introducing an exclusive line of Miffy books, games, puzzles and toys. In August, Zany Brainy stores promoted the Miffy backlist with appearances by an actor in a Miffy costume.
Adding to Miffy awareness, Miffy cartoons began running during the Small World program on The Cartoon Network in September. And United Media has just launched a line of Miffy-related items that will be carried at a variety of retail outlets. United Media is handling all Miffy merchandise in the U.S., including the Zany Brainy line.
Kodansha's future plans for Miffy include five new titles for spring 1999. Two of them will be in a new format: board books with tabs. The company will also start a program for stores involving the Miffy costume character.
First published in Dutch in 1963, books about Miffy have been translated into 33 languages and have sold more than 80 million copies worldwide.
