Be With Zee is a 52 x 6 min preschool series and mindfulness brand for all ages about Zee, a cuddly blue forest creature, experiencing the adventures and emotions of life with the support of Matua, a nurturing parent/caregiver.

Each episode follows Zee and Matua on lighthearted forest adventures, from finding balance on a windy day by planting one’s feet into the earth like a tree, to drawing feelings with crayons when feeling overwhelmed. Together they laugh, explore emotions, encourage each other, and overcome challenges, giving kids and parents real-life coping skills in the process. 

A beautiful celebration of all the feelings that make up the human experience, Be With Zee is a poetic antidote to the overstimulation of today’s anxious times, embracing a slower, more intentional rhythm, fostering mindfulness, curiosity, and emotional depth through gentle storytelling and rich, hand crafted visuals. Reminiscent of series like Winnie the Pooh and Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, the series is designed to bring happiness, calm and connection to kids and parents. 

Be With Zee is created by Matt Haworth, a New Zealand writer, art director, and children’s book illustrator who discovered and uses the techniques of mindfulness to preserve his own health and well-being as a​ person living with cystic fibrosis.

The series is produced by an award-winning international team includingOddly Quiet, Mukpuddy, and Media Tech Productions of New Zealand and Vérité Films of Canada.

It is developed in consultation with early childhood education professors as well as experts in child psychology. 

Distributed by Vérité International Distribution, the series is produced in English and French for delivery in fall 2026.