In a world full of strange creatures, a collection of normal animals have to deal with being different.
All kinds of strange species inhabit our planet. Animals we barely recognize: giraffes without necks and naked hedgehogs, bald sheep and tiny whales…Because they all look the same, they don’t notice anything special. And then an animal appears that looks different: a giraffe with a long neck and a hedgehog with spines, a sheep full of wool and a giant whale… The group of animals is confused, and so is the exceptional individual. What is the significance of this new characteristic? In every episode, the group and the abnormally normal animal have to deal with this difference and find new ways to live together. Every episode of Toink! focuses on a different animal species and a different protagonist, so the episodes can be watched in random order. There is a common narrative structure though and some animals reappear in other episodes as side-characters. One specific being makes a cameo in every episode: Little Rock has been lying there forever, even before animals evolved.
Director’s statement
Toink! is unique because it turns things upside down. In Toink!, all the giraffes have short necks, except the one with the long neck which is different. This original angle immediately catches the audiences attention. Does being different mean being 'unique' or 'weird'? It doesn't matter. We are all different sometimes and so 'being different' is actually completely normal. In that way, Toink!
normalises diversity towards children and I think that's great.
Country of production
Belgium
Target audience
Children (4-7 year)
Animation technique
2D (vector based)
Production company
Animal TankEstimated budget
2 250 000 EUR
Funding secured
555 510 EUR Flemish Audiovisual Fund, VRT/KETNET, Tax Shelter (Belgium)
Stage of the project
development (existing script)
Looking for
Co-producer, distributor, broadcaster, international sales