Paper Owl Films is putting the spotlight on the emotional resilience of preschoolers with its newest project, Happy the Hoglet.

The 2D-animated series (26 x seven minutes) goes on adventures with a hedgehog and his friends at Sunny River Community Garden, who argue over their differences, but ultimately resolve these conflicts and learn how to deal with their emotions.

Following up on its success with preschool series Pablo, which revolves around a neurodiverse character and his experiences in the world, Paper Owl developed Happy to address the broader, related topic of spotlighting the different ways kids think.

Specifically, the series is designed to address lingering effects of the pandemic on young children, says creative director Gráinne McGuinness, as well as showing them how to cope with anxiety and mental health challenges.

“The pandemic demonstrated that the need for shows like this has never been more obvious,” says McGuinness. “It’s important for kids to learn how to manage their emotions at an early age, so they know how to cope with big feelings when they’re older,” she adds.

Happy the Hoglet‘s characters experience the primary emotions many preschoolers struggle with, such as disappointment, fear and sadness, and offers a variety of coping strategies. And although there isn’t a character with autism, like there is in Pablo, the studio created an ensemble cast of critters who are “neurodiverse in their own ways,” says McGuiness. “Each character feels differently. The hedgehog is grumpy, happy, worried and excited, and he shows his real feelings and also accepts his friends’ feelings. That’s a very positive place from which to build emotional resilience.”

The series will premiere November 14 on ITVBe’s Little Be programming block in Britain and on Irish pubcaster RTÉjr. Welsh-language channel S4C and Brit AVOD/SVOD platform ITVX (formerly ITV Hub) also have plans to start running Happy the Hoglet in November.

Creator McGuinness has penned scripts as a screenwriter with Claire Handley, and Gavin Halpin is an executive producer on the series.

Bristol-based Aardman Animations is distributing Happy the Hoglet globally, and Paper Owl is also hoping to explore consumer products opportunities.