As a boy, Kiki Kokí was a bit lazy, selfish and mischevious. Luckily he learned his lesson, so as a tree frog Kokí is none of those things. He is helpful, generous and fun loving. He’s always first in line to help, and first on the conga line.

The character of Kiki Kokí was inspired by the coquí frog of Puerto Rico. This is a really tiny frog. Barely the size of a coin. A coquí can comfortably sleep inside a closed hybiscus flower, and they often do. Though they may be small, they make a big sound. If you are lucky enough to visit Puerto Rico you will hear the coqui’s loud song fill the balmy caribbean nights. No wonder Kiki Kokí has a love of island music.

He describes himself as cautious. His friends think he’s a bit of a worry wart. I mean look at him…really?… a helmet, knee and elbow pads, a shell and he still worries about falling and getting hurt. Couple that with the fact that his top running speed is barely that of a snail and you realize that Poncie is one of those characters that’s really funny, though that may not be his intention. But thanks to his friend Kiki Kokí, Poncie has learned to have fun and enjoy the magic that everyday brings.

There were two sources of inspiration for the character of Poncie. One of the inspirations was a real person named Juan Ponce de Leon. Ponce de Leon was the first governor of Puerto Rico. Like Poncie, De Leon was an explorer in search of a fountain. He famously sailed all the Caribbean and Florida in search of the Fountain of Youth.

The other inspiration for Poncie was the leatherback sea turtles of Puerto Rico. These beautiful creatures return to the beaches of Puerto Rico every year to lay their eggs.

As the baby of the group, Yuquie is quite the handful. Imagine a Toddler with wings and you can start to imagine the possible chaos that can ensue when Yuquie is left unattended. As a recent hatchling, Yuquie’s curiosity can lead her into trouble, and it’s the other friend’s responsibility to teach her as well as to keep her safe. Inspired by Puerto Rico’s real life indigenous parrot, Yuquie is a beautiful bundle of joy, just don’t look away for too long. 

Garto is a lizard who prefers to do his own thing, he’s usually off surfing the lagoon, rock climbing or strumming his guitar. He’s got a cool laid back vibe and everyone likes being around him.

There are various species of lizards in Puerto Rico. Garto is inspired by the Puerto Rican Giant Amevia. While most of the island’s lizards are brown and green, the Amevia is a bluish color.

Despite her young age, Rani is wise beyond her years. She’s always learning by asking lots of questions. She does not like being treated like a kid and can be quite spunky if need be. Like all the frogs on Boriken Isle, Rani loves music. She can pick up any two sticks and make a melody, even on Poncie’s shell, though Poncie finds that extremely dangerous. There are fourteen known species of Coquí Frogs in Puerto Rico. All like to sing, just like Rani.

Millie is a Millipede with the personality of a dog. She loves to digs holes and chew on just about anything she’s not supposed to. When she’s not chewing or eating, Millie scurries about the rain forest behind Kiki Kokí and his friends like a happy pup.