# Zubby

> Zubby turns a parent's own story about a hard everyday moment into a short cartoon with her child as the hero, to watch together and talk about. Open by invitation for now.

## What it is

Turn a real moment from your day into a short cartoon starring your child. You tell the story in your own words. You watch it first. You decide what to share. The cartoon has voices, music and titles, and is 30, 45 or 60 seconds long (titles and credits add a little). There are seven looks: Soft 3D, Drawn Cartoon, Paper Story, Anime, Bright Shapes, Cardboard World, Toy Blocks. Cartoons are made with AI. The parent previews each one before her child sees it. A photo is optional. The site itself sells nothing and takes no accounts, cards or contact details; each moment has a story beginning to read, labeled as an example and not a cartoon of the visitor's own story. This page is written in English; a parent can write her story in any language.

## Who it is for

Parents of young children with a hard everyday moment, in their own words: Won't eat; Scared of the dark; First day at preschool; A new baby; Getting ready for bed; Mornings; Moving to a new home; Something else. Best watched together on a calm day, then followed by a chat or a game.

## What it is not

Not a sleep aid and not for watching in bed or just before sleep. Not for the middle of a meltdown. Not a medical, therapeutic or educational treatment, and Zubby cartoons have not been tested in studies. It makes no promise about a child: a cartoon can be a way into the conversation, and it cannot do the work of routine, patience or the child's doctor. If you are worried about your child's sleep, eating, fears or behavior, talk to your child's doctor, nurse or teacher.

## Pages

- [Zubby](http://127.0.0.1:3184/): The landing page: the moments, how it works, the seven looks, an example with three questions to talk about afterward, the idea behind Zubby with its references, the price line and the questions.
- [Moments](http://127.0.0.1:3184/moments/): A first day, the dentist, the dark, a new baby, big feelings, and more. Every moment, in 11 areas, with a page of its own.
- [Sitemap](http://127.0.0.1:3184/sitemap.xml): The landing page, the moments page and all 55 moment pages.

## Moments

Each moment page has one example story, labeled as an example made with AI, what happens in it, three questions to talk about afterward, what a cartoon can and can't do, and an example story beginning to read.

### Bedtime and sleep

- [When getting ready for bed goes in circles](http://127.0.0.1:3184/s/bedtime/): A short cartoon about the getting-ready part, starring your child. Watch it together earlier in the evening, never in bed.
- [When being alone in their room is hard](http://127.0.0.1:3184/s/alone-in-room/): A short cartoon about a chair by the bookshelf and a familiar toy, starring your child. Watch it together earlier in the evening, never in bed.
- [When rest time at preschool is hard](http://127.0.0.1:3184/s/preschool-nap/): A short cartoon about resting without having to sleep, starring your child. Watch it together earlier in the day, never in bed.
- [When the bed is wet in the morning](http://127.0.0.1:3184/s/night-accident/): A short cartoon about a wet sheet and a calm morning, starring your child. Watch it together in the daytime, never in bed.

### Everyday care

- [When the potty is still new](http://127.0.0.1:3184/s/potty-signals/): A short, gentle cartoon about noticing a feeling in the body, starring your child. Watch it together at a calm time, then talk.
- [When the flush sounds scary](http://127.0.0.1:3184/s/flush-sound/): A short cartoon about a loud whoosh and a place to listen from, starring your child. Watch it together at a calm time, then talk.
- [When poop only happens in a diaper](http://127.0.0.1:3184/s/only-nappy/): A quiet cartoon about a familiar routine and a first look at the potty. Watch it together at a calm time, then talk.
- [When the potty works at home but not away](http://127.0.0.1:3184/s/potty-away/): A short cartoon about a new bathroom and a grown-up sitting close, starring your child. Watch it together at a calm time, then talk.
- [When brushing teeth is hard](http://127.0.0.1:3184/s/brush-teeth/): A silly short cartoon about one toothbrush and a choice, starring your child. Watch it together at a calm time, then talk.
- [When the haircut feels scary](http://127.0.0.1:3184/s/haircut/): A short cartoon about a quiet snip and asking for a pause, starring your child. Watch it together at a calm time, then talk.
- [When washing hair means tears](http://127.0.0.1:3184/s/hair-wash/): A short cartoon about water, a towel and asking for a warning, starring your child. Watch it together at a calm time, then talk.
- [When the answer to the potty is no](http://127.0.0.1:3184/s/potty-no/): A short cartoon where a no is heard and the potty can wait, starring your child. Watch it together at a calm time, then talk.
- [When the potty is harder after a new baby](http://127.0.0.1:3184/s/potty-after-baby/): A short cartoon about needing help again, with a grown-up close, starring your child. Watch it together at a calm time, then talk.

### Mealtimes

- [When mealtime is hard](http://127.0.0.1:3184/s/new-food/): A short cartoon about a new food, with your child as the hero. Watch it together at a calm time, then talk.
- [When it's hard to sit down to eat](http://127.0.0.1:3184/s/sit-at-table/): A short cartoon about a snack, a game and a chair that waits, starring your child. Watch it together at a calm time, then talk.
- [When eating at preschool is hard](http://127.0.0.1:3184/s/preschool-food/): A short cartoon about a new table and a familiar cup, starring your child. Watch it together at a calm time, then talk.

### Goodbyes and new places

- [Before the first day at preschool](http://127.0.0.1:3184/s/first-preschool-day/): A little story about the first day, with your child as the hero. Watch it together at a calm time, then talk.
- [When goodbye at the preschool door is hard](http://127.0.0.1:3184/s/preschool-door/): A short cartoon about a goodbye at the door, starring your child. Watch it together at a calm time, then talk.
- [When your child asks when you'll be back](http://127.0.0.1:3184/s/coming-back/): A short cartoon about three little pictures and an honest answer, starring your child. Watch it together at a calm time, then talk.
- [When it's hard to find things at preschool](http://127.0.0.1:3184/s/find-my-things/): A short cartoon about a row of cubbies and one small kite from home, starring your child. Watch it together at a calm time, then talk.
- [When a hospital stay is coming up](http://127.0.0.1:3184/s/hospital-stay/): A short cartoon about packing a bag and what the grown-up knows so far, starring your child. Watch it together at a calm time, then talk.
- [When there's a new teacher at preschool](http://127.0.0.1:3184/s/new-teacher/): A short cartoon about a wave and a puzzle on the shelf, starring your child. Watch it together at a calm time, then talk.
- [When your child is moving to a new group at preschool](http://127.0.0.1:3184/s/new-group/): A short cartoon about a bigger room and a basket of blocks you know, starring your child. Watch it together at a calm time, then talk.

### Big feelings

- [When it doesn't work the first time](http://127.0.0.1:3184/s/try-again/): A short, funny cartoon about a wobbly drawing, with your child as the hero. Watch it together on a calm day, then talk.
- [When hitting happens over a toy](http://127.0.0.1:3184/s/hitting/): A short cartoon about a taken toy and a hand that swings, starring your child. Watch it together on a calm day, then talk.
- [When biting happens](http://127.0.0.1:3184/s/biting/): A short cartoon about a crowded rug and the words "I need space", starring your child. Watch it together on a calm day.
- [When it's hard to leave the game](http://127.0.0.1:3184/s/leave-the-game/): A short cartoon about leaving the swings, with your child as the hero. Watch it together on a calm day, then talk.
- [When there are tears at the store](http://127.0.0.1:3184/s/shop-tears/): A short cartoon about "not today" and a bench to sit on, starring your child. Watch it together on a calm day, then talk.
- [When turning the screen off is hard](http://127.0.0.1:3184/s/screen-off/): A short cartoon about a sand timer and what comes next, starring your child. Watch it together on a calm day, then talk.
- [When hitting is aimed at you](http://127.0.0.1:3184/s/hits-parent/): A short cartoon about a "no" and the words for being angry, starring your child. Watch it together on a calm day, then talk.
- [When anger comes out as throwing](http://127.0.0.1:3184/s/throwing-things/): A short cartoon about a puzzle piece, a soft cushion and the word "cross", starring your child. Watch it together on a calm day.
- [When everything gets a no](http://127.0.0.1:3184/s/no-to-everything/): A short cartoon about a lot of no's and two small choices, starring your child. Watch it together on a calm day, then talk.

### Getting along

- [When two children want the same toy](http://127.0.0.1:3184/s/sharing/): A short cartoon about one truck and a plan for two, with your child as the hero. Watch it together on a calm day, then talk.
- [What comes after sorry](http://127.0.0.1:3184/s/saying-sorry/): A short cartoon about a fallen tower and what comes after sorry, starring your child. Watch it together at a calm time, then talk.
- [When joining a game feels hard](http://127.0.0.1:3184/s/joining-in/): A short cartoon about watching first and asking one question, with your child as the hero. Watch it together at a calm time, then talk.
- [When something unkind happens at school](http://127.0.0.1:3184/s/school-conflict/): A short cartoon about telling a grown-up, with your child as the hero. Watch it together at a calm time, then talk.

### When things feel scary

- [When the dark feels scary](http://127.0.0.1:3184/s/afraid-of-dark/): A short cartoon about a big shadow, with your child as the hero. Watch it together earlier in the evening, never in bed.
- [When a dark bedroom feels scary](http://127.0.0.1:3184/s/dark-bedroom/): A short cartoon about one dim corner, with your child as the hero. Watch it together earlier in the evening, never in bed.
- [Before a visit to the doctor](http://127.0.0.1:3184/s/doctor-visit/): A short cartoon about practicing a question, with your child as the hero. Watch it together at a calm time, then talk.
- [Before a dentist visit](http://127.0.0.1:3184/s/dentist/): A short cartoon about a pretend visit and a hand signal, with your child as the hero. Watch it together at a calm time, then talk.
- [When dogs feel scary](http://127.0.0.1:3184/s/dogs/): A short cartoon about a quieter path, with your child as the hero. Watch it together at a calm time, then talk.
- [When loud sounds feel too big](http://127.0.0.1:3184/s/loud-sounds/): A short cartoon about a loud sound and a quiet place, with your child as the hero. Watch it together on a calm day, then talk.
- [When getting it wrong feels scary](http://127.0.0.1:3184/s/fear-of-mistakes/): A short cartoon about one wobbly note, with your child as the hero. Watch it together at a calm time, then talk.

### Doing it myself

- [When getting dressed is hard](http://127.0.0.1:3184/s/getting-dressed/): A funny short cartoon about one sock, with your child as the hero. Watch it together at a calm time, then talk.
- [When getting out the door is hard](http://127.0.0.1:3184/s/out-the-door/): A short cartoon about a scarf and a basket, with your child as the hero. Watch it together at a calm time, then talk.
- [When putting on shoes is hard](http://127.0.0.1:3184/s/shoes/): A funny short cartoon about one shoe, with your child as the hero. Watch it together at a calm time, then talk.
- [When tidying toys is hard](http://127.0.0.1:3184/s/tidy-toys/): A short cartoon about one toy boat finding its home, with your child as the hero. Watch it together at a calm time, then talk.

### Changes at home

- [When a new baby comes home](http://127.0.0.1:3184/s/new-baby/): A short cartoon about a big sibling with mixed feelings, starring your child. Watch it together at a calm time, then talk.
- [When you're moving to a new home](http://127.0.0.1:3184/s/moving-home/): A short cartoon about missing the old home and finding something new, starring your child. Watch it together at a calm time, then talk.
- [When your child has two homes](http://127.0.0.1:3184/s/two-homes/): A short cartoon about a bag and a bear that go between two homes, starring your child. Watch it together at a calm time, then talk.
- [When a pet has died](http://127.0.0.1:3184/s/pet-goodbye/): A short cartoon about missing a pet and saying so, starring your child. Watch it together at a calm time, then talk.

### Saying no and personal space

- [When you want to talk about hugs being a choice](http://127.0.0.1:3184/s/my-boundaries/): A short cartoon about saying no to a hug and choosing a wave, starring your child. Watch it together at a calm time, then talk.

### A moment to give

- [When you want to give a new family something to keep](http://127.0.0.1:3184/s/welcome-gift/): A short cartoon starring your child, a keepsake they are in. You watch it first. You decide what to share.
- [A birthday story starring your child](http://127.0.0.1:3184/s/birthday-story/): A short cartoon starring the birthday child, from your own words. You watch it first. You decide what to share.

### Something else

- [A moment that isn't on the list](http://127.0.0.1:3184/s/something-else/): Tell us what happened, in your own words. Zubby makes a short "let's imagine" cartoon from your story, to watch together and talk about.

## The idea behind Zubby

Inspired by research on how children learn from stories and from watching others handle a moment. [1, 2, 3, 5, 6] Zubby is a family storytelling tool, not a medical, therapeutic or educational treatment. Zubby cartoons have not been tested in studies. The studies we cite used books, films, programs or lab tasks, some made for the study, with different groups of children. Their results may not apply to Zubby.

Children learn by watching. Since the 1960s, experiments have shown that young children often copy what they see others do [1]. In research settings, a film showing another child going through surgery has been linked with less anxiety before the operation [3], and in one laboratory study, seeing someone react positively beforehand made children less likely to pick up a fear of a new animal [4]. Zubby does not replace the preparation your child's health team gives. Fears are common. If fear keeps stopping your child from sleeping or doing everyday things, talk to your child's doctor.

Stories about you may land harder. In two small, preliminary studies, preschoolers learned more new words from the parts of a book made about them [5], and kindergarteners retold and understood a story better when its hero looked like them [6]. In lab tasks, children aged 4 to 6 remembered objects better when they were paired with a picture of themselves [7]. That is why, in Zubby, your child is the hero. Those studies used picture books and memory tasks, not cartoons, and none has tested Zubby. The studies we cite used books, films, programs or lab tasks, some made for the study, with different groups of children. Their results may not apply to Zubby. Zubby is a family storytelling tool, not a medical, therapeutic or educational treatment. Zubby cartoons have not been tested in studies.

Talking together helps. Pediatric guidance and small studies suggest children tend to learn more from a screen story when a grown-up watches along and asks questions [8, 9, 10]. So Zubby cartoons are short and made to be watched together, then talked about or played out. Health guidance also suggests keeping screens away from bedtime [8], so Zubby is not made for bed. The studies we cite used books, films, programs or lab tasks, some made for the study, with different groups of children. Their results may not apply to Zubby. Best watched together, then followed by a chat or a game. Not for watching in bed or just before sleep. Health guidance suggests turning screens off an hour before bedtime.

What it isn't. Each Zubby cartoon is made to be talked about together. It can't do the work of routine, patience or your child's doctor. For some moments there are studies. In a randomized trial of 127 toddlers, parents who first looked at a vegetable picture book with their child for two weeks, and then offered the vegetable daily, reported more liking, and more eating three months later, than parents who only offered it [11]. Relaxed, repeated tasting is what builds acceptance. A cartoon can't do that for you. These were picture-book studies, not cartoons. The studies we cite used books, films, programs or lab tasks, some made for the study, with different groups of children. Their results may not apply to Zubby. Zubby is a family storytelling tool, not a medical, therapeutic or educational treatment. Zubby cartoons have not been tested in studies.

In one study of 73 children, a five-week parent-led book program with exercises was followed by fewer nighttime fears than waiting, which a film on its own is not [12]. For others, such as a new baby or starting preschool, we found guidance but no trials [13, 14]. Fears are common: in one study, about 7 in 10 children aged 4 to 12 reported nighttime fears [15]. If worry stops your child sleeping or doing everyday things, talk to your child's doctor.

Research on stories and films for young children is limited. Most studies are small, and none has tested Zubby. The studies we cite used books, films, programs or lab tasks, some made for the study, with different groups of children. Their results may not apply to Zubby. Zubby is a family storytelling tool, not a medical, therapeutic or educational treatment. Zubby cartoons have not been tested in studies.

## References

1. Bandura A, Ross D, Ross SA. Transmission of aggression through imitation of aggressive models. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology. 1961;63(3):575–582. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0045925
2. Mares M-L, Woodard EH. Positive effects of television on children's social interactions: a meta-analysis. Media Psychology. 2005;7(3):301–322. https://doi.org/10.1207/s1532785xmep0703_4
3. Melamed BG, Siegel LJ. Reduction of anxiety in children facing hospitalization and surgery by use of filmed modeling. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 1975;43(4):511–521. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0076896
4. Askew C, Reynolds G, Fielding-Smith S, Field AP. Inhibition of vicariously learned fear in children using positive modeling and prior exposure. Journal of Abnormal Psychology. 2016;125(2):279–291. https://doi.org/10.1037/abn0000131
5. Kucirkova N, Messer D, Sheehy K. Reading personalized books with preschool children enhances their word acquisition. First Language. 2014;34(3):227–243. https://doi.org/10.1177/0142723714534221
6. Neuenschwander R, Brüniger P, Fellmann C. Personalization effects on child involvement during shared book reading: do children of color benefit most? European Journal of Psychology of Education. 2025;40(4):132. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-025-01026-5
7. Cunningham SJ, Brebner JL, Quinn F, Turk DJ. The self-reference effect on memory in early childhood. Child Development. 2014;85(2):808–823. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12144
8. Munzer T, Parga-Belinkie J, Milkovich LM, et al.; American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Communications and Media. Digital ecosystems, children, and adolescents: policy statement. Pediatrics. 2026;157(2):e2025075320. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2025-075320
9. Strouse GA, O'Doherty K, Troseth GL. Effective coviewing: preschoolers' learning from video after a dialogic questioning intervention. Developmental Psychology. 2013;49(12):2368–2382. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0032463
10. Rasmussen EE, Shafer A, Colwell MJ, et al. Relation between active mediation, exposure to Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, and US preschoolers' social and emotional development. Journal of Children and Media. 2016;10(4):443–461. https://doi.org/10.1080/17482798.2016.1203806
11. Owen LH, Kennedy OB, Hill C, Houston-Price C. Peas, please! Food familiarization through picture books helps parents introduce vegetables into preschoolers' diets. Appetite. 2018;128:32–43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2018.05.140
12. Kopcsó K, Láng A, Coffman MF. Reducing the nighttime fears of young children through a brief parent-delivered treatment: effectiveness of the Hungarian version of Uncle Lightfoot. Child Psychiatry and Human Development. 2022;53(2):256–267. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-020-01103-4
13. Kramer L, Ramsburg D. Advice given to parents on welcoming a second child: a critical review. Family Relations. 2002;51(1):2–14. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3729.2002.00002.x
14. Tunis D, Kleiner R, Loewenstein FB. 13 tips for starting preschool. National Association for the Education of Young Children. https://www.naeyc.org/our-work/families/13-tips-starting-preschool
15. Muris P, Merckelbach H, Ollendick TH, King NJ, Bogie N. Children's nighttime fears: parent-child ratings of frequency, content, origins, coping behaviors and severity. Behaviour Research and Therapy. 2001;39(1):13–28. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0005-7967%2899%2900155-2

Citing a study is not an endorsement by its authors or publishers.