Dick Bruna

Bruna started his career as a designer of book covers and designed approximately 1,800 covers between 1952 and 1972, including the famous Zwarte Beertjes (Black Bears) series. He has also designed countless posters for publishers, as well as for other institutions.

The most famous of his children’s books is Nijntje, the story of a white rabbit with human character traits. The first Nijntje book was published in 1955. That initial publication has meanwhile been followed up with 30 books on the white rabbit’s experiences. All of the books have been translated into many different languages.

Dick Bruna has also designed children’s books with educational content, such as reading and arithmetic books, and books on colours and geometric forms. He has also designed a wide range of posters and related promotional materials for child-oriented charities. The Scheveningen beach is decorated with a series of figures designed by Bruna and mounted on high poles to help lost children find their way back to where they came from. One of the distinctive features of Bruna's work for children is the fact that he has always tried to create safe environments from which children can work independently and go in search of adventure.