Stellaluna

Stellaluna is the main character of Janell Cannon's award-winning book of the same name. In the story of Stellaluna, the character, herself, is a fruit bat.

She is voiced by Chiara Zanni in the animated adaptation.

History
Stellaluna got separated by her mother after an  owl attacked them and gets adopted by a family of sparrows. As a mother bird delivered worms to her babies, Stellaluna refused to eat one, but her hunger soon made her give in and eat bugs. She and the other birds hung upside-down until the mother bird says that this trait is dangerous. The mother bird will only let Stellaluna be with her only for eating grubs and not hanging upside-down. She is a bit clumsy to fly until she gets her wings stuck on a branch. One of the flying foxes was her mother and the flock of bats got surprised that Stellaluna discovered them. Returning to Pip, Flitter, and Flap, Stellaluna realizes who she is: a flying fox bat.

2004 Animated Film
Stellaluna's role is similar to the book, but vastly different. However, this character has also has relationship between additional characters. One thing is that she has a relationship between Askari, an adventurous jumping spider. She is given a whistle to call for help to summon him.

Stellaluna and the birds constantly run into the great white owl but they always manage to escape. One escape for the owl ends with the friends lost and Flap accuses Stellaluna of getting them lost, calling her the "Worst bird EVER!" Stellaluna hangs her head in sadness as her friends sleep for the night.. Later, while the birds sleep, Stellaluna meets up with a hornbill named Horatio and a parrot named Kasuku, then being given a makeover but finds herself unable to move because the makeover is too heavy. Horatio and Kasuku explain what matters is not what's outside, but what's in the inside that counts. Encouaged, Stellaluna flies back to find the right way home.

Just then Stellaluna spots the owl looming nearby and urgently wakes up the sparrows. The sleepy sparrows become wide awake when they spot the owl as well. Stellaluna and the birds take safety in a cave, to find Stellaluna's flock and her mother as she happily embraces her daughter. The birds are amazed at seeing creatures just like Stellaluna. They also like the fruit the bats have. However the reunion is cut short when they hear that Mama bird had been taken by the Giant owl. Stellaluna rallies birds and bats to fight the owl to save Mama bird and they succeed. In the end, both sparrows and bats reconcile and Stellaluna and the three sparrows put aside their differences. The sparrows watch as Stellaluna flies with her bat flock, where she truly belongs.

Personality
Stellaluna is a kind, spunky young bat. She suffers from low self-esteem due to her struggles to fit in with Pip, Flap, and Flitter, but gradually overcomes this upon discovering her strengths and true identity, as well as learning that it's what's on the inside - not the outside - that truly matters. She is also capable of turning the other cheek, as she doesn't give up wanting what's best for her adoptive siblings even after Flap is mean to her.

Similar Heroes

 * Nemo and Dory (Finding Nemo/Finding Dory)
 * Fievel Mousekewitz (An American Tail)
 * Littlefoot, Ducky, and Petrie (The Land Before Time)
 * Bambi
 * Shade Silverwing and Marina Brightwing (Silverwing)
 * Ellie and Peaches (Ice Age)
 * Dumbo
 * Kessie (Winnie the Pooh)
 * Babe
 * Penny (The Rescuers)
 * Fluttershy and Scootaloo (My Little Little Pony: Friendship is Magic)
 * Fa Mulan (Mulan)
 * Dot (A Bug's Life)
 * Riley Anderson (Inside Out)
 * Tarzan (Disney)
 * Sagwa Miao (Sagwa the Chinese Siamese Cat)
 * Stuart Little
 * Zoboomafoo
 * Dorothy Gale (Oz)
 * Aladar (Dinosaur)

Trivia

 * Stellaluna's name means "star moon."
 * She is the fourth animated bat, the first being Fidget from Disney's The Great Mouse Detective, the second being Batty Koda from FernGully: The Last Rainforest, and the third being Bartok from Anastasia, but Fidget is a henchman of Professor Ratigan rather than a hero.