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When it doesn't work the first time

A short, funny cartoon about a wobbly drawing, with your child as the hero. Watch it together on a calm day, then talk.

An example story beginning for this moment. It is not a cartoon of your own story.

Cartoons are made with AI. You preview each one before your child sees it. Automatic checks can miss things.

Illustration, made with AI: a boy frowns at a crayon drawing of a dog with one wobbly ear while his grandpa sits beside him, a small dog wags its tail, and a glowing firefly holds out a fresh crayon.
Illustration, made with AI

Let's imagine

Example, made with AI

Leo (5) draws a dog. One ear comes out wobbly. "It's all wrong," he says, and drops his crayon. His grandpa sits beside him. "That's a big feeling." Leo takes a slow breath. Biscuit looks at the drawing and wags his tail. Leo picks up the crayon and draws one more ear, a different way. Now the dog has three ears. Leo giggles.

The characters in this example are made up. Your child can be the hero, with or without a photo.

What happens in the story

In the example above:

  • Leo says how he feels in plain words, and he puts the crayon down.
  • His grandpa waits, names the feeling, and doesn't hurry him.
  • Leo takes a slow breath and tries one thing a different way.
  • The drawing isn't perfect. It has three ears, and Leo laughs.

Talk-after card

Here are three gentle questions to talk about after this example. Best watched together, then followed by a chat or a game.

  1. What happened to Leo's drawing?
  2. What did Grandpa say? What did Leo do next?
  3. When something doesn't work the first time, what would you like to do? You can tell me or show me.

Use the ones that feel right. Skip any you like.

What a cartoon can and can't do

  • Zubby isn't for the middle of a hard moment. Watch together on a calm day.
  • Every family has its own pace.
  • Each Zubby cartoon is made to be talked about together. It can't do the work of routine, patience or your 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.