Teddy & Co.

Six toy animals share an island: Umpah, a kind elephant; Sid, a greedy snake; pigs Prinny and Zia, silly and careful respectively; Peng, a grumpy penguin; and Teddy, a bear, a more nuanced character who is a philosopher and a dreamer. They go on small adventures and solve the problems of community life. The island gets a shake-up when newcomers arrive: first Mr. B, a rabbit; and then Clara, an elegant and imperious doll. The tone here is cozy and old-fashioned (with muffins, and picnics, and Zia's constant refrain of "oh dear, oh dearie me"), but there's a level of anxiety under it all. Who are we really? Of Mr. B: "He knew he looked floppy and silly and cuddly…Inside, however, Mr. B knew he wasn't like that at all. Inside, he was sleek and selfish and silver sharp, like a knife." The pace parallels imaginative play, with predictable rituals punctuated by moments of intensity and exuberance. The language and conflicts are firmly child-centered, but there's a hint of satire as the islanders invent participatory democracy in response to power-hungry Clara; the tone doesn't entirely work, as in several episodes the benign and the ominous work against each other. Sophisticated black-and-white illustrations play to both the toys' cuteness and their not-always-sunny outlooks. sarah ellis

Six toy animals share an island and go on small adventures. The island gets a shake-up when newcomers arrive: first Mr. B, a rabbit; and then Clara, an imperious doll. The tone here is cozy and old-fashioned, but there's a level of anxiety under it all. Who are we really? Sophisticated black-and-white illustrations play to both the toys' cuteness and their not-always-sunny outlooks.