There is a wealth of hot garbage when it comes to kids shows. With YouTube and streaming networks coming online faster than we can keep up, it seems any little animation studio anywhere wants to monetize the next cartoon, no matter how terrible the end product might be. I won’t name names, but as the mother of a sometimes non-discerning 4-year-old, I can attest to how low this bar has been. We’ve had many difficult conversations, and I’ve caved more than once to nightmare inducing color schemes and horrendous story lines.
No so with Puffin Rock. And thank goodness for that.
Puffin Rock’s title alone sounds like something delightful, and I’m happy to report that it is. In every sense of the imagination. It’s a show about an Irish puffin family–as you do–and is narrated by Chris O’Dowd with a dry yet somehow also whimsical air. The main characters are Oona, the eldest sister in the family, and Baba, her little chicklet brother. They have a score of little friends, including a pygmy shrew and a fox. And each adventure is a chance to learn about the animals and landscape of Northern Ireland.
All along the way we learn a great deal about puffins, but also about the world around them. The episodes have a lovely sense of tranquility about them, so even high stress moments–like when Baba wanders away to get a shiny shell and the mean seagulls are after it, too–don’t seem so harsh. The animation style is absolutely lovely, complimenting the show’s themes with a cool color set and design.
It’s quickly become a family favorite, even for the almost 10-year-old, though he’ll never admit it. It’s a show we can all watch together and enjoy without a worry. And we even learn something along the way.
Natania is a member of the Netflix Stream Team.
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We love Puffin Rock at our house. My husband loves Chris O’Dowd, so that is how we roped him in, lol. My 7 yr old and 1 yr old watch it all the time. My 1 year old can’t get enough and totally gets sucked in. The only downside is no matter how many times he has watched the episode where Oona takes a night walk he still has to be consoled when she gets scared by her owl friends’ eyes. His first words were Baba.
Best kid show. All my kids love it, from ages 2-11. Can’t wait for more episodes.
The music and the narrator make the show, and the Irish accents are awesome.
The parents are great role models!
This show is a breath of fresh air.
You should watch Clangers (a remake) and Abney and Teal. Both shows are British and are wonderfully whimsical. They have a somewhat similar feel. I love watching them as an adult. I wish there were more shows like this…
My kids freakin’ love Puffin Rock. And I’m glad they do, because it’s actually good, unlike another show that they also loved – Caillou. Ugh!