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Puffin Rock

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Puffin Rock
GenreChildren's television series
Created byLily Bernard
Tomm Moore
Paul Young
Country of originIreland
Original languagesEnglish
Irish
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes47
Production
Executive producersGerry Shirren
Fionnuala Deane
Francesca Dow
ProducersPaul Young
Laura Campbell
John McDaid
EditorAlan Slattery
Running time22 minutes
Production companiesCartoon Saloon
Dog Ears
Penguin Random House (Series 1-2)[1]
Original release
NetworkRTÉjr (Ireland)
Nick Jr. (United Kingdom, Series 1-2)
CBeebies (United Kingdom, Series 3)
Release12 January 2015 (2015-01-12) –
present

Puffin Rock is an Irish animated children's television series that airs on RTÉjr. Narrated by Chris O'Dowd, the series premiered on 12 January 2015 and is co-produced by Irish company Cartoon Saloon, Northern Irish company Dog Ears and American company Penguin Random House for its first two seasons.

It originally aired on RTÉjr in Ireland and Nick Jr. in the United Kingdom, with reruns airing on Nick Jr. Too and Channel 5's Milkshake! strand (as of 2025, the series airs on CBeebies[2][3])

The series initially ran for two series from 2015 until 2016, with a third series premiering in September 2025.[4]

Plot

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Based on Puffin Island, situated off the Irish coast, the series follows a young puffin named Oona and her baby brother Baba as they explore their world along with their family and friends of various different animals.

Characters

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Character Species Description / Role Season 1 Season 2 Film Season 3
The Narrator — Unseen narrator for the series and film. Chris O'Dowd
Oona Atlantic Puffin Main character; preschool-aged puffin. Kate McCafferty Beth McCafferty
Baba Atlantic Puffin A pure white puffin; Oona's little brother. Sally McDaid Jo McDaid Sally McDaid & Eoin McDaid
Mama Atlantic Puffin Oona and Baba’s mother. Geraldine Cole
(Denise Donaghy – singing voice, S1–2)
Papa Atlantic Puffin Oona and Baba’s father. Brian McMonagle Matt Deery
Isabelle Tufted Puffin A pink puffin; Phoenix’s adopted sister. Eva Whittaker
Mossy Eurasian pygmy shrew Oona’s friend. Darragh Gargan James Henry David Henry
Bernie Hermit crab An elderly hermit crab. Jim Craig
Silky Harbor seal A grey-colored seal pup. Laura McCallan Clara McLaughlin
Phoenix Golden pheasant Isabelle’s adopted brother. Euan McGrath
Otto Owl A green owl. Brenn Doherty Ollie Lynch
May Rabbit Anna McDaid Farrah McLaughlin
Flynne Red Fox Orna Canning Roma McDaid
Lala Atlantic Puffin A blue puffin; youngest puffin on the Puffin Rock. Mara Reid Moore
Marvin Sea Otter Aaron MacGregor Max Wilson
Bernadette Hermit crab Bernie’s partner. Anita Robinson Anita Robinson
Pip Owl A brown owl; brother of Pop. Caitlin McGuinness
Pop Owl A grey owl; brother of Pip. Caitlin McGuinness
Isabelle's Mammy Tufted Puffin Isabelle’s mother; Phoenix’s adoptive mother. Lorraine Lordan
Isabelle's Daddy Tufted Puffin Isabelle’s father; Phoenix’s adoptive father. Paul Young
Spikey Common hedgehog A baby hedgehog. Laura McCallan
Lala's Mama Atlantic Puffin Lala’s mother. Amy Huberman Niamh Moyles
Puffin Egg Daddy Atlantic Puffin Lala’s father. Evan Lordan
Chloe Arctic tern A migrating tern. Nuria Gonzalez Blanco
Silky's Mama Harbor seal Mom of Silky. Chantal Sweeney

Episodes

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Season 1 (2015)

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No. Overall Title Original air date Summary
1 1 "Puffin Practice" January 12, 2015 Oona and Baba practice acting like grown-up puffins.
2 2 "The Mystery Egg" January 12, 2015 Oona, Baba, and Mossy help return an egg to its parents.
3 3 "To See the Moon" January 12, 2015 Oona tells everyone to stay up late to see a super moon.
4 4 "The Shiny Shell" January 12, 2015 Baba finds a shiny shell that attracts the attention of the seagulls.
5 5 "Friendly Flynne" January 12, 2015 Flynne the fox helps Oona and Baba find Mossy.
6 6 "A Feather Bed" January 12, 2015 Baba and Oona search for soft materials to make a new bedding for the burrow.
7 7 "Beach Rescue" January 12, 2015 Oona and Baba help rescue a baby seagull trapped in fishing line.
8 8 "Lost Berries" January 12, 2015 Baba and Oona help Mossy collect berries for the Shrew Crew.
9 9 "Night Lights" January 12, 2015 Oona makes a nighttime trip to the sea by herself.
10 10 "Pond Life" January 12, 2015 Oona tries to keep Baba out of the mud.
11 11 "Bird Detective" January 12, 2015 Oona watches the seagulls to learn more about their behavior.
12 12 "Bernie's Shell" January 12, 2015 Oona and Silky help find Bernie a new shell.
13 13 "Hop, Skip and Bump" January 12, 2015 Oona wants to learn to jump high, just like a frog.
14 14 "Bouncing Back" January 12, 2015 Oona and Silky struggle to find a game they both enjoy.
15 15 "A Noisy Neighbour" January 12, 2015 A noisy starling keeps Baba awake, so Oona tries to find her a place to sleep.
16 16 "Stormy Weather" January 12, 2015 Baba and Oona get stuck in a seagull nest during a storm.
17 17 "Rock Music" January 12, 2015 Oona practices singing with her mother for the dawn choir.
18 18 "Baba's Adventure" January 12, 2015 Baba finds his way home with the help of his friends.
19 19 "The Burrow Race" January 12, 2015 Oona and May race underground in the burrow.
20 20 "Silky's Slide" January 12, 2015 Baba and Oona rescue Silky after a storm traps her on a cliff.
21 21 "Ruffled Feathers" January 12, 2015 Oona, Baba, and Otto search for a white egret.
22 22 "Finding Bernie" January 12, 2015 Oona and Silky rescue Bernie in the kelp forest.
23 23 "The Foggy Day" January 12, 2015 Oona and Baba get lost on a foggy day.
24 24 "Run, Flap, Fly" January 12, 2015 Oona practices taking off from the water so seagulls won’t steal her fish.
25 25 "Follow the Puffin" January 12, 2015 Oona leads Mossy and the Shrew Crew through a tunnel.
26 26 "The Cloud" January 12, 2015 Oona and Baba explore the sky and learn about clouds.
27 27 "A Windy Day" January 12, 2015 Strong winds carry Oona’s kite away, and she must retrieve it.
28 28 "Baba’s Bug Hunt" January 12, 2015 Baba discovers bugs and shares them with his friends.
29 29 "Mossy’s New Friend" January 12, 2015 Mossy finds a new friend but struggles to play nicely at first.
30 30 "The Gift" January 12, 2015 Oona and Baba give a present to a friend who is feeling sad.
31 31 "Starry Night" January 12, 2015 Oona wants to see shooting stars with her friends.
32 32 "Baba’s Big Splash" January 12, 2015 Baba experiments with swimming and makes a big splash.
33 33 "The Treasure" January 12, 2015 Oona and friends find a hidden treasure on the beach.
34 34 "The Lost Shell" January 12, 2015 Bernie loses his shell, and Oona helps him find it.
35 35 "The Big Game" January 12, 2015 Oona, Baba, and friends play a game with surprising results.
36 36 "A Rainy Day" January 12, 2015 Rain interrupts Oona and Baba’s plans, but they find fun indoors.
37 37 "The Little Boat" January 12, 2015 Oona and Baba explore the bay in a tiny boat.
38 38 "Baba’s Balloon" January 12, 2015 Baba inflates a balloon that carries him on a small adventure.
39 39 "The Big Sleep" January 12, 2015 Oona and Baba prepare for a good night’s sleep after many adventures.

Season 2 (2016)

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No. Overall Title Original air date Summary
1 40 "Back to the Pond" February 22, 2016 Oona and Baba are woken in the middle of the night by a lost frog.
2 41 "The Fallen Rocks" February 22, 2016 Oona, Baba, and friends help Bernie when rocks block his cave.
3 42 "Homesick Hoglet" February 23, 2016 Spiky the hedgehog gets lost; Oona must find Baba and help him home.
4 43 "Silky and the Octopus" February 23, 2016 Silky and Oona meet a strange creature underwater with eight arms.
5 44 "The Salmon Leap" February 24, 2016 Otto wants to see the salmon leap, but Pip and Pop won’t go to sleep.
6 45 "The Great Gull" February 24, 2016 Oona and Baba team up with seagulls to face a common threat.
7 46 "Babasitting" February 25, 2016 May babysits Baba but chaos ensues when he wakes a hedgehog.
8 47 "The Puffin Way" February 25, 2016 Papa teaches Oona and Baba how to solve problems the puffin way.
9 48 "Bernie and the Bee" February 26, 2016 A bee gets trapped in Bernie’s grotto and causes trouble.
10 49 "Find the Owls" February 26, 2016 Otto’s chicks, Pip and Pop, go missing, and Oona helps find them.
11 50 "Mossy's Flea" February 29, 2016 Mossy brings Fred the Flea to a gathering and causes chaos.
12 51 "Dinner at Bernie's" March 1, 2016 Oona and Baba help Bernie prepare a feast for Bernadette.
13 52 "The Dung Beetle" March 2, 2016 Oona and Baba help a dung beetle roll its ball home.
14 53 "Oona's Fishing Trip" March 3, 2016 Oona joins Papa on her first big fishing trip.
15 54 "Spot the Ladybird" March 4, 2016 Baba and friends search for a ladybird to cheer up sick Oona.
16 55 "The Best Shell" March 7, 2016 Baba takes Bernie’s shell, leading to a misunderstanding.
17 56 "The Meteor Shower" March 8, 2016 Oona comforts Silky, who is afraid of shooting stars.
18 57 "The Dragonfly Display" March 9, 2016 Oona and friends wait to see the dragonflies’ display.
19 58 "Silky's New Friend" March 10, 2016 Silky befriends a clam, but Oona doesn’t understand her excitement.
20 59 "The First Snow" March 11, 2016 Oona, Baba, and friends explore Puffin Rock covered in snow.
21 60 "Oona's Cave" March 14, 2016 Oona practices digging but misses her friends when she’s alone.
22 61 "Just Like Mama" March 15, 2016 Oona learns how brave and fun her mama truly is.
23 62 "Diving Deeper" March 16, 2016 Oona learns from Silky how to dive deeper to reach Baba’s pebble.
24 63 "A Day Out" March 17, 2016 After a storm floods their burrow, the puffins take a family day trip.
25 64 "Owl School" March 18, 2016 Oona and Baba learn about owl skills at owl school.
26 65 "A Hot Day" March 21, 2016 Oona and Baba try to help Flynne when she starts losing fur.
27 66 "A Summer Visitor" March 22, 2016 Oona shows visiting tern Chloe around Puffin Rock.
28 67 "Lamb Chase" March 23, 2016 Oona tries to reunite a lost lamb with its mama.
29 68 "Mossy Impossible" March 24, 2016 Oona gets trapped in fishing twine; her friends must save her.
30 69 "A Special Seashell" March 25, 2016 Oona searches for a special shell to cheer up sick Baba.
31 70 "Turtle Taxi" April 4, 2016 Bernie must rescue Bernadette after the tide sweeps her away.
32 71 "New Neighbours" April 5, 2016 Noisy seagulls build a nest beside the puffins’ burrow.
33 72 "Rainbow" April 6, 2016 Oona tries to show Baba a rainbow before it disappears.
34 73 "Puffin Treasure" April 7, 2016 Oona and Silky explore while Baba goes on a treasure hunt.
35 74 "Mossy's Mystery" April 8, 2016 Mossy’s prize berry goes missing thanks to the Shrew Crew.
36 75 "The Longest Day" April 11, 2016 Friends gather to watch the sunrise on the longest day.
37 76 "House Hunting" April 12, 2016 Bernie helps Bernadette find a new, bigger shell.
38 77 "Super Snail" April 13, 2016 Baba befriends a snail who mysteriously disappears.
39 78 "Day and Night" April 14, 2016 Oona and Baba help the owls stay awake for a solar eclipse.

Puffin Rock and the New Friends (2023 film)

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Puffin Rock and the New Friends
Directed by Jeremy Purcell
Produced by Paul Young, Nora Twomey, Lorraine Lordan
Written by Sara Daddy
Production companies Cartoon Saloon, Dog Ears, Penguin Books
Distributed by Netflix (international), Wildcard Distribution (Ireland)
Release date July 14, 2023 (2023-07-14) (Ireland)
Running time 80 minutes
Country Ireland
Language English

Puffin Rock and the New Friends is a 2023 animated feature film based on the television series Puffin Rock. It serves as a continuation of the show, bridging the events between Season 2 and Season 3.

The story follows Oona, Baba, and their island friends as they welcome new arrivals—including Isabelle the tufted puffin, Phoenix the golden pheasent and Marvin the otter pup—to Puffin Rock. When a storm threatens puffin island, and the single puffin egg laid, Oona and her friends new and old must protect the egg, puffin island, and each other while making new friends along the way.

The film retains the series’ distinctive art style and gentle environmental themes, with narration by Chris O'Dowd and music by Eímear Noone and Craig Stuart Garfinkle. It premiered in Irish cinemas in July 2023 before being released internationally on Netflix later that year.

Season 3 (2025)

[edit]
No. Overall Title Original air date Summary
1 79 "Baba to the Rescue" September 15, 2025 Isabelle and Oona meet their friends. Baba takes Lala under his wing when the older pufflings get distracted.
2 80 "Kelp! Kelp!" September 15, 2025 Bernie is swept out to sea on a driftwood. Oona tries to help but must find Marvin. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
3 81 "Rise and Shine" September 15, 2025 Isabelle stays over with Oona; they take a nighttime journey to see plankton lighting up the sea.
4 82 "Who's Been Sleeping in My Den?" September 15, 2025 A mysterious visitor has been sleeping in the dens. Detective Oona investigates.
5 83 "Just Like a Puffin" September 15, 2025 Phoenix joins puffin practice but doubts himself until he helps with something valuable.
6 84 "Stormy Sing Along" September 15, 2025 Oona and Baba shelter during a storm; Mossy faces his fear of thunder and lightning.
7 85 "Bug Bug Buggies" September 15, 2025 On the way to catch sight of a cattle egret, Baba discovers a whole small world along the way.
8 86 "Puffins v Foxes" September 15, 2025 Isabelle, Oona and Flynne search for Mossy; they discover how different animals can work together.
9 87 "Marvin’s Rocky" September 15, 2025 Marvin loses his favourite rock; Oona helps him try to get it back.
10 88 "The Perfect Spot" September 15, 2025 Mama and Papa plan a surprise, but Oona & Baba must find the perfect spot.
11 89 "Spiky Sitting" September 15, 2025 Phoenix and Mossy find Spiky far from his burrows and try to help.
12 90 "Bernie Down Under" September 15, 2025 Bernie goes on an underground adventure while watching over Baba and Lala.
13 91 "A Night at the Bat Cave" September 15, 2025 The friends stay at the Bat Cave and try to be quiet for hibernating bats.
14 92 "Dandelion Drift" September 15, 2025 Baba & Lala’s dandelion puff blows apart; they plant a new one and wait for it to grow.
15 93 "Who’s the Best?" September 15, 2025 Isabelle’s role as “top flyer” is challenged when gathering materials around the island.
16 94 "On the Scent" September 15, 2025 Phoenix smells something strange; the puffins try to figure out what caused it.
17 95 "Hide and Swim" September 15, 2025 Marvin, Oona and Silky play hide-and-seek. Silky searches for a hiding place that feels just right.
18 96 "Follow the Frog" September 15, 2025 Oona, May and Marvin follow a frog across a dried pond.
19 97 "Buzzy Bees" September 15, 2025 Oona and Baba plan to collect flowers for Mama & Papa; more bees than expected.
20 98 "Swimming Lesson" September 15, 2025 Baba has a swimming lesson; diving proves difficult until Lala drops a shiny shell in the water.
21 99 "Under the Weather" September 15, 2025 Baba isn’t feeling well; Oona and friends collect his favourite things to help him feel better.

Accolades

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Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref(s)
Kidscreen Awards February 9, 2016 Best New Series, preschool Won [5][6]
Best Animated Series, preschool Won
Annie Awards February 4, 2017 Best Animated Television/Broadcast Production For Preschool Children Puffin Rock - The First Snow - Episode: 59 Nominated [7]
Outstanding Achievement, Production Design in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production Lily Bernard for The First Snow - Episode: 59 Nominated
Outstanding Achievement, Writing in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production Davey Moore for The First Snow - Episode: 59 Nominated
International Emmy Kids Awards April 10, 2018 Best preschool program Nominated [8][9]

Production

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The series was made by Kilkenny-based Cartoon Saloon, the studio behind the Academy Award-nominated feature Song of the Sea, and Derry based creative studio Dog Ears.[10] The series was first announced as a co-production between the two companies alongside Penguin Books' Puffin Books imprint in November 2012.[11] In September 2013, it was announced that RTÉjr and Nick Jr. had purchased the broadcast rights to the series in Ireland and the United Kingdom, respectively.[12]

On May 27, 2025, it was announced that CBeebies and RTÉjr had commissioned a third series. It premiered in September 2025.[13]

Broadcast

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Internationally, the series has aired on Nick Jr. in Italy, ABC Kids in Australia,[14] ERT2 in Greece.

Streaming rights to the series were held by Netflix in Ireland, the United States, Canada, Latin America, Spain, the Benelux countries, UK, Poland, France, Denmark and Germany.[15]

Film adaptation

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By July 2019, a film based on the series was in development.[16] The film's title and cast were revealed in February 2023, the name of the film was revealed to be Puffin Rock and the New Friends, with most of the cast reprising their roles, and Chris O'Dowd reprising his role as the narrator. However, most of the actors for the pre-school aged characters did not return, and were replaced, with Beth McCafferty replacing her big sister Kate McCafferty as Oona, and Jo McDaid replacing her big sister Sally McDaid as Baba.[17] The film theatrically released on 14 July 2023 in Ireland and Northern Ireland, and then on August 11 for the rest of the United Kingdom.[18] The film was also released in the Irish language under the title Puffin Rock agus Cairde Nua.[19]

References

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  1. ^ "Northern Ireland's Puffin Rock". Culture Northern Ireland. Archived from the original on 15 July 2015. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  2. ^ "Puffin Rock". CBeebies - BBC. Retrieved 24 March 2025.
  3. ^ "CBeebies is the new home of Puffin Rock in the UK!". Facebook. 25 January 2025.
  4. ^ "'Puffin Rock' Takes Wing for 3rd Season on CBeebies & RTEjr". Animation Magazine. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
  5. ^ "The 2016 Kidscreen Awards winners are…". 9 February 2016. Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  6. ^ Milligan, Mercedes (9 February 2016). "Kidscreen Awards Winners Announced". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  7. ^ "44th Annie Award Nominees". International Animated Film Society. 28 November 2016. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
  8. ^ "Puffin Rock Keeps on Rockin' with an Emmy Nomination!". Animation Ireland. 13 November 2017. Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  9. ^ Roxborough, Scott (16 October 2017). "MIPCOM: Nominations for International Emmy Kids Span 16 Countries". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  10. ^ "Cartoon Saloon's 'Puffin Rock' Lands on Nick Jr". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on 15 July 2015. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  11. ^ Dickson, Jeremy (13 November 2012). "Penguin partnership to launch new kids IP Puffin Rock". Kidscreen.
  12. ^ Rusak, Gary (19 September 2013). "Chris O'Dowd-narrated Puffin Rock gets Nick Jr. UK deal". Kidscreen.
  13. ^ "'Puffin Rock' Takes Wing for 3rd Season on CBeebies & RTEjr". Animation Magazine. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
  14. ^ Multiplatform, Children's TV Online. "Puffin Rock - ABC KIDS". www.abc.net.au. Archived from the original on 16 November 2016. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
  15. ^ "Netflix picks up Irish-based animation 'Puffin Rock'". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 4 October 2017. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
  16. ^ "'Puffin Rock Movie' Takes Wing – Animation Magazine". Archived from the original on 28 July 2019. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  17. ^ Purcell, Jeremy (14 July 2023), Puffin Rock and the New Friends (Animation), Caoimhe Ní Bhrádaigh, Sophie Borlée, Orna Canning, Cartoon Saloon, Dog Ears, WestEnd Films, retrieved 16 August 2023
  18. ^ Magazine, Animation (13 February 2023). "'Puffin Rock' Movie Takes Flight at EFM, Starring Chris O'Dowd & Amy Huberman". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on 14 February 2023. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  19. ^ Lauren (17 August 2023). "Puffin Rock agus Cairde nua to screen at IFI Family Festival". Northern Ireland Screen. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
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