Hot on the heels of Disney’s “Seeing Red” and “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret,” comes DreamWorks Animation’s “Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken,” another enjoyable story about the changes girls face as they grow up.

The animation is a lot goofier than its more serious message, which is pretty much that it’s OK to be different … in fact, it’s important to be yourself.

Ruby (Lana Condor) is a sea creature called a Kraken who lives with her family on land, and attends high school with human students. She has a nice bunch of loyal friends who know she wants to go to prom with the skateboarding Conner (Jaboukie Young-White.)

Ruby’s mother, Agatha (Toni Collette) hasn’t shared much about the family history, but she has told Ruby to stay away from the water.

Of course, that’s just where Ruby ends up. And before she knows it, she transforms into a giant Kraken, much to her horror as well as that of the terrified community around her.

When Ruby meets her grandmother (with the wonderful voice of Jane Fonda) she learns she’s a princess, and that her grandparent is the queen of the seas.

Meanwhile, Ruby also learns that the gorgeous new popular girl Chelsea (Annie Murphy) has a secret that could bring them together as friends.

The characters are eye-catching and the colors, especially when the characters are underwater, are beautiful.

This coming-of-age film has real character development, too, with misunderstandings between generations that are easily relatable to grownups and kids alike. The music is as fun as the characters in this fast-paced family film.

Take your family out to see it for some laughs, some song, and some heartfelt messages in this animated romp that’s anything but dry.

Rated: PG.

Running time: One hour and 33 minutes.

At Cinemark, Davenport; Regal, Moline; and Palms 10, Muscatine.

Watch the trailer here.