Dick Bruna is one of the few living Dutch artists to have achieved worldwide fame among young and old. He started drawing in 1940 and among the books he illustrated was the series entitled Zwarte Beertjes (Little Black Bears). Bruna has spent his later career developing his skills within the picture book genre, creating characters such as miffy. The work of Dick Bruna is distinguished by its simple and direct draughtsmanship. Not only has Bruna made more than a hundred picture books, he has also designed more than two thousand book covers, over one hundred posters, postcards and prints.