Since I became a mother, everything shifted.

Every night, my kids (four and seven) ask me for a bedtime story. Not the usual book at bedtime: they want me to make one up, on the spot. That’s how Starbie was born.

One night, at the end of a long day, I was exhausted and they wouldn’t let go of “Mommy, make up a story.” So I started improvising something strange, and out of nowhere, from the Bermuda Triangle, a small, sassy starfish appeared. They loved her so much that ever since, every single night, it’s “We want a Starbie story.” Being an animator’s kids, they get to choose the setting and the characters for each night’s adventure.

After a few weeks, I felt Starbie had to leave our bedroom and reach millions of other children.

I grew up as an Israeli child in Northern California, always feeling a little different from everyone around me. Living far from home, I never quite felt like I belonged, and Starbie carries that exact feeling.

Her story reflects so many children today: those who move between cultures, who stand out instead of fitting in, and who are discovering that real belonging starts from the inside out. Told through handcrafted stop-motion and a whimsical underwater world, Starbie is an honest, heartfelt series about finding home within yourself.