OUR STORY
DIY!
We set up our company in 2010, when we all had small kids running round. We wanted to create stories for children that we would love in our own homes, and we wanted to do it here in Derry.
Starting with books, we’ve worked across publishing, events, tv and digital, always with memorable stories and experiences at heart.
Our name comes from the dog ears on our favourite books as kids, well thumbed and well loved. A perfect fit when we decided to create stories of our own.
WHAT WILL I BE?
We published our first book in 2011. “Let me see, what will I be?” by local artist Trisha Deery and featuring Miss Rosie Red. We also wanted to explore digital at these early stages, and our app for Miss Rosie Red was the first children’s book app made in Ireland, which took number one on the “What’s Hot” spot on the iTunes store (and featured there for 4 months)
HUMDINGER!
Humdinger! was a labour of love for us, a festival which brought some of our absolute heroes to Derry, to entertain and inspire over 40,000 kids and their families. Running over 3 fun filled (slightly crazy) years, we were lucky enough to host luminaries from Julia Donaldson to Oliver Jeffers. Working with amazing local talent and volunteers, we celebrated stories in some style with the children of Derry, Donegal and beyond.
ENTER PUFFINS...
Onwards, to animation! As we pitched Miss Rosie Red to broadcasters, a new project and a new partnership began. In 2012 we teamed up with Cartoon Saloon to develop Puffin Rock for animation, creating a beautiful book and app to bring our world to life.
Penguin books joined the team, and with the support of RTE and Nick Jr we went into production on Season 1 of our first animation! Puffin Rock has been the mainstay of Dog Ears’ work, and we’ve gone on to produce 2 more seasons and a pre-school movie – the first animated movie ever made in Northern Ireland.
Puffin Rock debuted on BBC CBeebies in February 2025, and is routinely listed as a top low stimulation show, a mindful option for parents. Something we would love in our own homes…
Animation stays at the heart of our work, with new top secret projects waiting to be unveiled alongside bright new seeds in development. The world which exists around our characters and stories, across platforms and possibilities, is still where we work and play.