It’s been 13 years since that grumpy clown fish Marlin – he can’t tell a joke, remember? – swam across the ocean and into our lives. And that’s when Finding Nemo, the film about a father and son’s quest to be reunited, became the highest grossing original animated movie of all time.

But as far as fish go, Marlin never really was the star of the film. There was another underwater creature who stole our hearts. Her name was Dory, the ever-positive, practical and completely polite tang fish with a short-term memory problem.

So why return 20,000 leagues under the sea so many years later? Because Dory’s creator, Finding Nemo writer-director Andrew Stanton, couldn’t stop "worrying that Dory might never get home again." Stanton explained his burning desire to revisit her story and how that turned into the underwater sequel Finding Dory at a recent press day at the popular Monterey Bay Aquarium in Northern California, which inspired the film’s setting. In the new movie due out June 17, Dory uses her favorite phrase "just keep swimming" to embark on a quest to find her parents.

We’re thrilled to revisit this rich and colorful world – filled with new environs, creatures and lots of adventure. Here are five reasons why we think you and your kids will enjoy Finding Dory.

1. Ellen DeGeneres is the best big kid -- and fish -- you’ve ever seen. She loves cute cat clips, dancing the boogaloo and gorilla suits. If that doesn’t tell you everything you need to know, then we can’t convince you that there’s no better person to voice this forgetful little fish than TV host and actor Ellen DeGeneres. "She has a lot of personal affection for Dory, and it’s very special to her for many, many reasons," says Stanton. It’s Ellen’s love of the character that makes her so endearing. "Everybody is drawn to Dory," Stanton says, and a big part of that comes just from "hearing Ellen speaking." Maybe Ellen relates so well to the kids because she herself is a big kid?

2. A grouchy octopus named Hank. Dory’s positive and breezy attitude has to be met with some opposition and that comes in the form of Hank the octopus. Voiced by Ed O’Neill (Modern Family, Married with Children), there’s nothing more hilarious than hearing the irascible Al Bundy deal with the difficulties of the marine-life world. Parents get the wit and kids get an octopus – well, septipus, in this case, as he only has seven tentacles – who can wiggle into tight spaces, camouflage himself and walk on land. Cue the comedy!

Concept art for the septipus Hank

The final result

3. The message of conservation. While the ocean in Finding Dory is still vibrantly alive, there is a plethora of teachable ocean-conservation moments. The focus on underwater life will inspire kids to learn about the ocean, ask questions and maybe even get involved locally. Everything from Dory’s journey though the water to her arrival at the Marine Life Institute, which is based off the Monterey Bay Aquarium, will inspire kids and parents to talk about the environmental issues surrounding our oceans.

4. Holy Neptune, there’s no place like home. We all know the power of stories like The Wizard of Oz when it comes to helping kids understand the importance of family and home. As Dory sets out on the adventure to find her parents – voiced by Eugene Levy and Diane Keaton – she learns not only how to make new friends but also to understand the importance of keeping family ties strong, no matter what kind of fish – er, folks you have in your crew.

5. Being different is delightful. If you’ve seen Finding Nemo, you know that Dory has that little problem of not being able to remember, well, anything. Most of the time. It’s all just part of her personality. Some could find it annoying, while others find it endearing. "There are a lot of other characters around her on this film that have, in theory, disabilities. Hank’s a septipus, Destiny [a clumsy whale shark voiced by Kaitlin Olson] is severely nearsighted and can’t see well, Bailey’s [a beluga whale with faulty sonar skills voiced by Ty Burrell] echo location doesn’t work and Nemo’s got this little fin," says Pixar producer Lindsey Collins about the film’s unique cast of characters. Kids will get a kick out of realizing through this journey that our differences are what make us delightful -- and there’s no better message than that.