Apparently the concept for a Magic set themed around anthropomorphic animals was originally proposed a ways back, but then got passed over in favor of, like, cowboys and dinosaurs—until now. If the turnout at my local gaming store on prerelease night is anything to go by, pressing the button marked "a set that's a bit like Mouse Guard or The Secret of NIMH" has been worth it. They had to set up extra tables in the hallway to accommodate everyone.
I asked my table what the set reminded them of. Were they traumatized by Watership Down as kids? Did they read the Redwall series with their cookbook descriptions of meals? No and no, but it turns out they'd all read The Wind in the Willows, and one of the others pointed out how much like Beatrix Potter's Peter Rabbit some of the cards look. That's the advantage of doing a set that's a broad take on a subgenre like this rather than a specific crossover—everyone has their own points of reference they bring to the table. (Though I note that David Petersen, creator of Mouse Guard, does alternate art for several of the mouse cards.)
