The Sneetches are a race of odd yellow bird-like creatures who live on beaches. Star-bellied Sneetches are part of the "in crowd", while plain-bellied Sneetches are shunned by their star-bellied kinfolk and consequently mopey. Later they become friends with the help of Sylvester McMonkey McBean, the "fix it up chappie", and his yellow Star-On Machine in the book, but red in the video, that could add a star to the stomach of a Sneetch. However, the original Star-bellied Sneetches are upset, believing themselves still superior. McBean offers a solution in the form of his red Star-Off Machine in the book, but green in the video, which is capable of removing a star from a Sneetch’s belly, though it costs more money. This caused a cycle of Sneetches running into and coming out of each machine, until none of them could remember who was originally a Star-belly or a Plain-belly. But after all their money is spent, Sylvester laughs as he packs up his inventions and leaves the land of the Sneetches. The Sneetches then realize they've all been tricked by the monkey, who believes they will never learn their lesson, but is proven wrong when they discover that every Star-bellied Sneetch is as good as the other. So of all the Sneetches bond together in a whole society where a non-star bellied Sneetch has the same rights to activities and the community as any other Sneetch and the stars won't matter to any of them.
Ronald is the only Sneetch who has been named.