Saturday & Sunday 6 a.m.

The iconic white bunny from Dick Bruna’s children’s book classics comes to life in a 3D stop-motion animated series. Miffy, along with her friends Boris and Barbara Bear, Melanie the bunny, Poppy and Grunty Pig, and Snuffy the Dog, takes preschoolers along for adventures exploring basic concepts and themes. Miffy’s world includes activities recognizable to young children like numbers, colors, seasons, nature, friendship, and family celebrations as well as visits to Africa, Asia, Europe and the North Pole to discover new cultures as a preschooler would understand them. A female narrator, sounding like a child’s favorite teacher, guides viewers through the action. WLIW New York will distribute 21, 30-minute episodes to public television stations nationwide beginning Summer 2007 (check local listings).

The half-hour episodes make the unique artwork of Dick Bruna stand out, without losing the simplicity that made his work in the Miffy books world famous for more than 50 years and leaving space for children’s imaginations to roam. The characters interact in typical stories like ‘Miffy’s Gift from Boris,’ ‘Miffy’s Day with Snuffy,’ and ‘Miffy and Poppy Pig Have Breakfast.’ Segments like “Who Has More?” and “The Same Game” teach counting and number comparisons with audience interaction.

Miffy is a charming girl bunny – her age varies in the books but in the television series she is about five years old. Miffy is simple, innocent, resolute, and always open to new experiences. Her friends Boris and Barbara the bears are a little older than Miffy. Boris lives in a house in the woods and is cool and adventurous, but sometimes a little clumsy. Barbara, with her seven freckles, often joins Boris on his adventures and helps him out of scrapes. Poppy Pig is a friendly little pig. She is very sociable and brings joy and happiness into the lives of her friends and her niece, Grunty, who lives nearby. Snuffy is a nice, brave little dog. She is courageous and has a strong sense of justice. She is also a clever dog and warns her friends when things go wrong or finds lost toys for Miffy.

Dick Bruna is one of the most famous creators of children’s picture books in the world. He has written and illustrated more than 100 books. Bruna created his first Miffy story in 1955. His work has been translated into 45 languages and awarded with numerous prizes. He has sold nearly 85 million books worldwide.

Presented nationally by WLIW New York. ST and CC.