‘Puffin Rock’ Season Two Is A Lovely Gem For Kids On Netflix

The second season of Puffin Rock is now available on Netflix and it’s just as sweet as the first. Oona the puffling goes on mild little adventures with her baby brother, Baba, and her other friends. Even when they don’t tag along, Mama and Papa are there. Puffin Rock is an exciting place to explore, but there’s a safe home at its center.

Each short tale — there are three stories in each episode — is a pleasing balance of low-stakes drama, natural history, and character education. For example, in the first episode of season two, we follow Oona’s family as they escort a young frog back to his pond, we see some examples of teamwork and problem-solving, and we get a quick definition of erosion.

The second episode includes fun facts about octopus physiology and the mating habits of salmon. We also learn that seagulls are jerks, and in a twist, we’re introduced to two morally sophisticated ideas: Sometimes jerks are jerks for a reason, and there are always jerks who are jerkier. Also, this episode includes the only instance I’ve ever encountered of scatological humor being a legit lesson in animal behavior. Storytelling takes precedence over pedagogy. The narrator calls out interesting features of the characters’ surrounding the way a parent might point to a squirrel burying nuts in the backyard.

Aesthetically, Puffin Rock is intensely pleasing. Producer and co-creator Tomm Moore is responsible for The Secret of Kells and Song of the Sea. The 2D animation is, in texture and color, reminiscent of the work Mary Blair did for Disney — especially her conceptual art for Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland — and her illustrations for Little Golden Books. All the young characters are voiced by children, and, Puffin Rock features a mellifluous chorus of Irish accents — not surprising for a show that debuted on Raidió Teilifís Éireann, but lovely nevertheless.

One more thing: Puffin Rock’s narrator is Chris O’Dowd (Moone Boy, Bridesmaids). I mention this because I remember parenting a toddler as an occasionally very lonely time, a time when I was starved for adult interaction. My point here is that hearing the voice of Chris O’Dowd and maybe imagining that this very charming man has stopped in for a visit and is getting along beautifully with the baby is probably preferable to discovering that you’ve developed a crush on one of the Kratt Brothers. That’s all I’m saying.

[Watch Puffin Rock on Netflix]

Jessica Jernigan is a writer, editor, and mom-about-town in a mid-sized Midwestern city. You can find her professional website here, but Instagram is where the cat photos are.