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Parents' Guide to

Stellaluna

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 3+

Picture book gets a sweet musical adaptation for families.

Movie G 2012 41 minutes
Stellaluna Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 4+

Based on 6 parent reviews

rooibos
rooibos Parent
June 11, 2018
age 5+

Scary for preschooler

The scenario of a baby bat getting knocked off her mother's chest and falling away was too intense for toddler/preschooler. In retrospect, this movie does not belong on a "first movies for kids" list, alongside easygoing films featuring Pooh Bear, Daniel Tiger, and Elmo. My kid cried watching the opening scene, but the image and idea of getting lost was imprinted before we could turn it off. Best we could do at that point was fast forward to the part where the baby gets reunited with her Mama. It is not a bad story but stick with the book version for little ones.
Dani R.
Dani R. Parent of 2 and 4-year-old
February 9, 2018
age 3+
See all 6 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Based on Jannell Cannon's beloved children's book, STELLALUNA follows a baby fruit bat (voiced by Chiara Zanni) who becomes separated from her mother's grasp when an owl chases after their family of Flying Foxes. After landing near a nest, a mother bird takes in Stellaluna but tries to repress her differences. At first the baby birds are mean to Stellaluna, and she questions her ability to fit in with her bird foster family. But eventually she discovers the truth about her roots and where she belongs.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (6 ):
Kids say (2 ):

Like most picture book adaptations, the charming movie is padded with songs and extra characters to fill out the simple plot. Those expecting a page-for-page filmed version of the book might be surprised at some of the characters' personality differences, but the fundamental story is the same: Stellaluna is "upside down" living with her new bird family, and she doesn't know why she's compelled to do things that are so un-bird like.

The animation isn't of the dazzling Pixar variety, but the songs are surprisingly catchy, and Stellaluna is an irresistibly sweet protagonist. This is one of the rare children's films that seamlessly blends in educational tidbits (in this case, about bird and bat habitats -- and habits), so kids will likely want to learn even more about bats, particularly Flying Foxes like Stellaluna.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Stellaluna's message of family and belonging. What other stories and movies deal with children separated from their families?

  • How are the baby birds like little bullies at first? What makes them change their mind? Kids:
    Why isn't it OK to treat people poorly because they're different? Parents: Read about how to handle bullying.

  • What does Stellaluna learn about herself in the story? Should the mama bird have forced her to act like a bird when she isn't one?

Movie Details

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