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Fernie's Notebook

Sufficient

Recommended age Unlock

Co-watching from age 2

Stimulating

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Fernie's Notebook

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This program is stimulating. It actively demands attention and can feel intense. For the recommended age, this may be on the more intense side. The pacing is fast. Images follow each other quickly, leaving little time to pause and take in what is happening. The sound is clearly present and regularly draws attention. The visuals are calm and well-organized.

The episode follows a single, easy-to-track goal from start to finish: find Fernie's missing notebook. Events line up in a clear order, each location leading logically to the next, and actions have predictable results, the squid hides so the friends start checking the rocks. The one caveat for a two-year-old is that the fish facts and plot turns pile up, packing more into each scene than the very youngest can fully take in. Older toddlers and preschoolers will have no trouble following the thread.

Interactions here are warm and dependable: when Fernie panics, his friends rally around him at once with 'if that notebook is important to you, then it's important to all of us.' Feelings stay within a manageable range, and the one real low point, losing the notebook for good, is met with comfort, a reassuring song and a happy ending. The deep dark trench and the sudden loss may feel briefly tense for the youngest viewers, though reassurance follows close behind. Encouragement and consistent kindness run through every exchange.

Fernie and his friends take charge of the problem themselves, deciding to chase the squid and then working out where it could be hiding. The thinking is visible: Fernie recalls that squids camouflage as rocks, so the group checks every rock, and his knowledge of the glowing trench points the way forward. The real resolution is earned, as Fernie discovers he carried all the facts in his head the whole time. The reasoning steps are simple rather than deep, which fits this age comfortably.

The language is clear and used correctly, with real information woven in, angelfish hide in reefs and squids change colour to blend into rocks. The catch for a two-year-old is the vocabulary: words like 'marine biologist', 'cephalopod' and 'camouflaging' sit well above toddler level, even though the episode pauses to explain each one. Sentences are mostly complete and well formed, with a solid balance of facts and instructions alongside the cheers and exclamations. From around three or four the wordplay and concepts land more easily.

The world here is pure fantasy, merchildren, a talking crab and a magic trick that conjures a live squid, so little of the on-screen action carries directly into a child's own day. What does transfer is the recognisable heart of it: a show-and-tell, the nerves of performing, and friends who help and cheer each other on. Genuine facts about ocean animals give it some real-world footing, and the lesson about trusting what you already know is one a young child can hold onto. Even so, most of the activity stays inside an imaginary undersea world rather than offering things to try offline.

More information

This underwater episode gathers a group of young mer-friends shown with varied skin tones and hair textures, set in a colourful Caribbean-inspired Atlantica where that variety reads as ordinary rather than highlighted. Ariel, Fernie and Lucia are recurring figures who each drive part of the story, and initiative, knowledge and feeling are shared across boys and girls alike. Fernie, the boy at the heart of the episode, is both the fact-loving expert and the one who works through worry and self-doubt before regaining his confidence. The main limit is breadth: the cast is mostly the same age and body type, with little variation in family forms or home life.

This episode takes place entirely under the sea in the mermaid kingdom of Atlantica, so the world itself is imagined rather than something a child meets in daily life. What grounds it are familiar situations, a school-style show and tell and friends helping each other, plus accurate facts about squid camouflage, glowing jellyfish and fish that hide in reefs. There is no villain: the trouble starts when a magic trick accidentally sends a squid off with Fernie's notebook, so the conflict grows from a mishap rather than a bad character. The fantasy stays consistent and the tone is gentle, though the full mermaid world leans a little more imaginative than the mostly realistic mix that suits the youngest viewers.

There is enough here to keep a watching adult comfortable in the room. The chase plot actually goes somewhere, the animation is polished, and the glowing trench sequence is genuinely nice to look at. The jokes stay pitched at the children, so you are sitting back rather than laughing along, but the bright voices and the single song never grate. Pleasant company for a co-viewing grown-up rather than a story written with you in mind.

Themes

Friendship

Fernie ends by naming Ariel, Lucia and Flounder his best friends and thanking them for helping all day.

Helping others

The group drops everything to chase the squid after Ariel says they will help Fernie get his notebook back.

Animals

The episode is built around fish facts, from angelfish hiding in reefs to squids being among the fastest sea creatures.

Problem solving

Fernie uses what he knows about camouflage and the jellyfish trench to track the squid that took his notebook.

Self acceptance

Recurring

Fernie realises he can do his show-and-tell from memory because he already knows the facts without the notebook.

Perseverance

The friends keep searching through reef, rocks and a dark trench rather than giving up on the notebook.

Ocean

Recurring

The whole episode takes place underwater in Atlantica, among reefs, rocks and a deep sea trench.

Curiosity

Fernie loves learning and says he wants to become a marine biologist who studies all the fish in the sea.

Adventure

The friends pursue the squid across several undersea locations in an extended chase.

Activities

Searching

The characters hunt behind rocks and through the trench for the squid and the notebook.

Chasing

Much of the episode is a pursuit of the squid through the reef and sea.

Science

Fernie shares marine-biology facts about camouflage, jellyfish and fish behaviour.

Singing

The cast performs a song about trusting what you know.

Storytelling

The framing event is a show-and-tell where each character presents a favourite thing.

Magic trick

Lucia performs a magic trick, pulling a squid out of a hat with the words 'Swish, swish, swish.'

Exploring

The friends venture into an unfamiliar deep, dark trench lit by jellyfish.

Emotions

Determination

Fernie keeps calling out 'Give me back my notebook, it's really important' as he pursues the squid.

Excitement

The friends cheer and rush after the squid, calling the trench dive 'so cool down here.'

Sadness

Fernie is visibly crushed when the notebook drops into the deep trench and is lost for good.

Disappointment

Fernie says he can't do the show-and-tell now that his notebook of fish facts is gone.

Anxiety

Fernie doubts he knows any of his fish facts without the notebook to read from.

Joy

The friends celebrate with cheers of 'Go, Fernie!' when he succeeds at his show-and-tell.

Pride

Fernie confidently delivers his fish facts from memory and adds a heartfelt friendship fact.

Wonder

Ariel marvels at the glowing moon jellyfish, calling them 'so pretty' in the trench.

Behaviour

Helping

Ariel and the others volunteer to recover Fernie's notebook the moment they see how upset he is.

Encouraging

The friends repeatedly tell Fernie he has been teaching them fish facts all day and can do the show-and-tell.

Problem solving

Fernie deduces the squid is camouflaged among rocks and tells everyone to check each rock.

Explaining

Fernie shares real facts, calling a squid a cephalopod and describing how squids change colour to hide.

Searching

The group splits up to look behind rocks and into the trench for the missing notebook.

Teamwork

Everyone spreads out to check the area together so the squid cannot get away again.

Singing

A 'Trust in what you know' song carries the emotional turning point of the episode.

Comforting

Friends comfort Fernie after the notebook is lost, telling him he already knows everything he needs.

Social lessons

Supporting a friend

The group insists Fernie's notebook matters to all of them and sets out to help him.

Friendship

Fernie's closing fact is that Ariel, Lucia and Flounder are his best friends.

Teamwork

The friends split up and coordinate to search every rock for the camouflaged squid.

Emotional support

His friends remind Fernie he has been teaching them facts all day without needing the book.

Gratitude

Fernie publicly thanks his friends for all their help during the show-and-tell.

Chase scene

An extended pursuit of the squid runs through the reef, rocks and a deep trench across much of the episode.

Fast pacing

Dialogue is delivered briskly with rapid-fire fish facts and overlapping excited lines during the chase.

Sadness

Fernie is visibly upset and tearful when his treasured notebook falls into the trench and is lost permanently.

At a show-and-tell in the underwater city of Atlantica, a young merboy named Fernie plans to share fish facts from his treasured notebook. When Lucia's magic trick accidentally conjures a squid that swims off with the notebook, Ariel, Flounder and the others chase it through the reef and into a deep trench lit by glowing jellyfish. The notebook is lost for good in the trench, but Fernie's friends remind him he taught them every fact along the way without ever needing it. He performs his show-and-tell from memory and ends by thanking his friends.

Season 1

12 episodes

Disney Junior Ariel

Disney Junior Ariel

Atlantica Day

recommended age co-watching from 2

Ariel, a young mermaid, takes on writing a special song for the Atlantica Day celebration after her music teacher Sebastian is asked to perform one and freezes up. With her friends Lucia, Fernie and Flounder, she asks her aunt, a market full of neighbours, and others what the single most special thing about Atlantica is, but everyone names something different. Just as she fears she has failed, Ariel realises the special thing is exactly that everyone is different, all living together in one ocean. She performs the finished song, 'One Colorful Ocean,' at the celebration.

Disney Junior Ariel

Disney Junior Ariel

A Winner's Spirit

recommended age co-watching from 2

Flounder decides to enter the All-Atlantica swim race, and his friends Ariel and Lucia appoint themselves his trainers to make him 'racer ready'. Through swim tests and exercises Flounder keeps saying he only wants to have fun, but no one listens until he hides instead of lining up. Ariel apologises for not listening, and Flounder rejoins the race at his own pace. He crosses the line last, the whole crowd cheers his name, and he signs up for next year.

Disney Junior Ariel

Disney Junior Ariel

Ursula's Magic Camp

recommended age co-watching from 2

Lucia, a young mermaid who dreams of becoming a magician, arrives with Ariel and Flounder for the first day of Ursula's Magic Camp. Ursula teaches three small and simple tricks, but Lucia keeps making her magic too big to impress her teacher, creating a giant bubble, making her friend Fernie disappear, and unleashing a runaway whirlpool. After Ursula shares that she once made the same mistake, Lucia calms the whirlpool by casting the spell the careful way. The day ends with all the campers, including Lucia, earning their first guppy badge.

Disney Junior Ariel

Disney Junior Ariel

Fernie's Notebook

recommended age co-watching from 2

At a show-and-tell in the underwater city of Atlantica, a young merboy named Fernie plans to share fish facts from his treasured notebook. When Lucia's magic trick accidentally conjures a squid that swims off with the notebook, Ariel, Flounder and the others chase it through the reef and into a deep trench lit by glowing jellyfish. The notebook is lost for good in the trench, but Fernie's friends remind him he taught them every fact along the way without ever needing it. He performs his show-and-tell from memory and ends by thanking his friends.

Disney Junior Ariel

Disney Junior Ariel

Crystal Cavern Caper

recommended age co-watching from 2

Young Ariel and her friends gather human objects in their underwater Crystal Cavern, then watch their treasures disappear one by one. They discover a hermit crab is taking them and try a series of plans, a basket trap, a magic bubble and a footprint chase, to catch him. When they finally do, the crab, Hermes, explains he outgrew his shell and needed a new home, and that he took the doll because he wanted a friend. The friends forgive him, give him a treasure to live in and welcome him into the group.

Disney Junior Ariel

Disney Junior Ariel

A Banner Moment

recommended age co-watching from 2

In the underwater kingdom of Atlantica, King Triton and Sebastian organise a welcome parade for the grumpy Duke of Clownfish. Young Ariel feels let down when her sisters get big jobs and she is handed only a tiny banner, until she learns that whoever carries it leads the whole parade. After she loses the banner to a playful dogfish, she invents a pearl-and-fetch trick to win it back and steer everyone home. The Duke ends up smiling because he loves the dogfish, and Ariel learns that every job matters and that mistakes can be fixed.

Disney Junior Ariel

Disney Junior Ariel

Copy Catfish

recommended age co-watching from 2

Ariel's young cousin Jules comes to visit the underwater kingdom and copies everything Ariel does, from her necklace to her red hair to her hobbies, which slowly frustrates Ariel. With Flounder, Ariel tries to help Jules find her own interests through magic potions and fish facts, but nothing sticks, and Ariel snaps that Jules should stop copying her. After Jules swims off hurt, Ariel's twin sisters remind her that she once copied them too. Ariel apologizes, decides that being copied is a compliment, and gives Jules a matching necklace so the two can be twins.

Disney Junior Ariel

Disney Junior Ariel

Happy Crabby Day

recommended age co-watching from 2

In the underwater kingdom of Atlantica, the crab Sebastian works himself ragged preparing the annual Happy Krabby Day party. Ariel and her friends notice he never rests, so King Triton declares a holiday and the children try several ways to help him relax, from a quiet cavern to a hammock to a calming song. Sebastian keeps slipping back into work until he discovers his friends have finished the party planning themselves. He admits it is okay to take a break, and everyone relaxes together.

Disney Junior Ariel

Disney Junior Ariel

Smoothie Shake-Up

recommended age co-watching from 2

Young Ariel and her friends take over Ravi the octopus's juice stand in the undersea town of Atlantica while he goes to untangle his brother. They keep mixing up orders and spilling drinks until they realise, like Ravi's tentacles, each of them should handle one task. Working that way, they fill a large order for the palace. The episode ends with Ariel delivering the juice to her father, King Triton, crediting teamwork.

Disney Junior Ariel

Disney Junior Ariel

Family Picture Day

recommended age co-watching from 2

On Family Picture Day in the undersea kingdom, young mermaid Ayana wants a special 'fin hawk' hairstyle, but her sister Alana is stuck in sea traffic and cannot do it. Ariel steps in to try, and she and her friends work through one failed attempt after another with twisty tools, slippery jelly and even a magic spell, leaving Ayana's hair a mess. Ayana decides she should not be in the photo at all and swims off upset. Ariel and the others then style their own hair to look just as silly, and the whole family poses together for a happy picture.

Disney Junior Ariel

Disney Junior Ariel

The Clean Team

recommended age co-watching from 2

Ariel, a young mermaid, is told it is chore day and draws the task of cleaning her messy room. Wanting to play sooner, she lets her friend Lucia cast a magic cleanup spell, but the sponge it creates multiplies and spreads mess across the whole undersea palace. The friends try several ways to stop the sponges before leading them out to the open ocean with a kelp-covered Flounder as bait. Ariel admits her father was right that magic does not replace doing the job herself, and the friends form a 'clean team' to tidy the palace by hand.

Disney Junior Ariel

Disney Junior Ariel

Clamming Up

recommended age co-watching from 2

Ariel, Lucia, Fernie, and Flounder are on an undersea nature swim when they find a lone clam resting by the rocks. Hoping to befriend it, they nickname it Ruben and try one idea after another to make it open up, from knock-knock jokes and human treasures to a magic blanket, fireworks, and a song. Nothing works, and they decide to return the clam to its home. Only then does the clam speak, revealing her name is Clamilla and that she is simply shy and needs time, and the friends agree that everyone is different and welcome to be themselves.

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From this series Disney Junior Ariel

By age 2 years

By platform Disney+

By theme Animals Apologising Creativity Curiosity Disappointment Family Friendship Helping others Kindness Magic Music Perseverance Pride Problem solving Responsibility Sadness Trying new things

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