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The Mermaid and the Whale

The Mermaid and the Whale

A fisherman who wants to be rich meets a mermaid and learns he already has everything he needs in life to be happy!
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The Mermaid and the Whale

About this Episode

A fisherman who wants to be rich meets a mermaid and learns he already has everything he needs in life to be happy!

 Snoriezzz, a children’s mindful bedtime podcast and part of the GoKidGo universe of shows for kids, is co-created and co-hosted by Academy Award Winning actor Marcia Gay Harden (she/her), and actor and comedian Natalie Peyton (she/her).  Building love of self and love of sleep at the same time, the Snory godmothers use affirmations,  calming routines, and a beautiful fairy tale to help you make bedtime the peaceful,  bonding moment you need!     

Snoriezzz Segments:

00:43  MINDFUL TALK

03:05  GROUNDING WITH YOUR SURROUNDINGS 

06:01 SNORY  THE MERMAID AND THE WHALE

17:54  CALM YOUR BODY MEDITATION

You can always revisit the affirmations, Snory, or meditations as your little one needs! We’ve provided the timing for each segment above.

Host Snory godmother:  Marcia Gay Harden (she/her)

Host Snory godmother:  Natalie Peyton (she/her)

Segment music composition: Nana Simopoulos (she/her)

Story music composition and foley: Sterling Steffen (he/him)

Editing: Sterling Steffen

Cover art: Eulie Scheel (they/them)

Production Manager: Kyle Dempsey (he/him)

Branding/marketing: Julitta Scheel (she/her)

Guest Snory godmother: Sasha Compére (she/her)

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Get ready for Connect & Learn!  Where you and your adult dive deeper into the Snoriezzz episodes you’ve heard at bedtime or naptime! 

WELCOME TO HAITI! BUT…WHERE IS HAITI ANYWAY?
Haiti

Our story “The Mermaid and the Whale” takes place in Haiti, a gorgeous and picturesque Caribbean island brimming with life and culture! It’s down below the United States, in the Caribbean Sea! The water there is bright blue and warm, and the people love to swim and fish! As you listen to “The Mermaid and The Whale”, we invite you to close your eyes and imagine you are transported to the magical land of Haiti.

Haiti
But first, WHO WERE THE MERMAID AND THE WHALE?

“Lasirèn ak Labalèn” – this is the name of a Haitian folksong. Lasiren means the “siren” which is what some people call mermaids, and Labalen means the” whale”. This song inspired the wonderful storyteller Djenane Saint Juste, a native of Haiti, to write The Mermaid and the Whale into a book, but for hundreds of years this story has been passed down from generation to generation through traditional oral storytelling with dance and music.

Legend has it that Lasiren, (which is actually French for “Mermaid” or “Siren” -a beautiful singer) was one of three mermaid sisters in Haiti. Lasiren’s personality was a mixture between her two sisters. One sister was calm, cool and collected and the other sister was powerful and strong willed. Lasiren was powerful, and calm and cool! In the story Mermaid and the Whale, LaSiren calls the whale her sister. and we think that’s because they both live under the sea. Below are three Haitian banners showing beautiful mermaids, and they are made with thousands of sequins! We love the pink and teal tails of the mermaids. What color tail would your mermaid have!?

So then who was “LaBalen”? Well, Haiti has lots of whales, including humpback whales, dwarf whales, and sperm whales. We think the whale in the story of The Mermaid and The Whale was a sperm whale, which is most often seen in the Gulf of Gonave.
The Caribbean is one of the most important whale watching sites in the world, which is why The Haitian Ocean Project is so cool. It was created in 2007 and is focused on the protection and preservation of marine mammals, sea turtles, sharks, and rays; all endangered in this Caribbean nation!

Haiti
HAITIAN CULTURE:

The Republic of Haiti, which is the official name of Haiti, has deep and rich cultural roots. A big part of Haitian culture is storytelling!  Fables and folktales have been passed down from generation to generation dating back to the native Tainos people. Each village had a storyteller – because they were telling the story, not reading it, and people would gather around to listen.  To start it off,, the storyteller would shout, “KRIC!” to get the attention of the audience, and when the audience replied “KRAC!” the storyteller would begin the story.  Sometimes there was dancing in the story too! These stories always had a moral and were often about animals.

Haiti
HAITIAN LANDSCAPE & CLIMATE
The island nation of Haiti has a warm tropical climate with high humidity. The main island is surrounded by beautiful fine sand and light crystal blue water. Haiti has what’s called a semiarid climate, which means the climate gives Haitians hot summers and mild to cool winters with very little rain. Haiti is made up of 59 islands, which is the most of any other Caribbean country! The largest island is called La Gonave. (That’s where our man lived in Mermaid and the Whale!) The island is trimmed with gold and white beaches, tall fruit trees, and homes and cities along the sand. Beyond the cities, lush mountains stand tall, where you can find flamingos, bats, and tropical birds. The name “Haiti” comes from the native Taíno language, in which it means “land of high mountains.”
HAITIAN LANGUAGE

Originally home to the Tainos people, Haiti is part of a big island in the Caribbean Sea.  Haiti is home to over 11 million people who mainly speak Haitian Creole and French.

You may be wondering, “Why would a nation in the Caribbean Sea speak French? That’s so far away from France!” Well, good observation!! France ruled over Haiti for a long time, for over 100 years.  They brought many African slaves there. The French colonizers  taught the people of the Island to speak French, and combined with the African language, it became Creole.  But the people rebelled against French rule and slavery,  and  Haitians gained independence from France in 1804.  This tells you a lot about the willpower, strength and vigor of the Haitian people, who are filled with life, knowledge, power, dignity, creativity, joy and spirit. 

 

HAITIAN ART

Haitian art is vibrant and picturesque, just like the landscape! Haitian painters use bold, bright colors to capture the sparkle of their environment, foods and people. One famous Haitian painter, Préfète Duffaut (1923 – 2012), was popular for his portraits of towns and cities. This “Untitled (Imaginary City)” piece is from 1963. This work represents the bustle of everyday Haitian life. 

Haiti
HAITIAN TRADITIONS

Soccer, like in many countries in the world, is Haiti’s most popular sport.  Do you play soccer?  In Haiti and other countries, they call soccer “football”.  In America, when we say football, we think of a completely different sport!  Haiti even has its own professional football league, the Haitian Football Federation. 

Every year, professional teams from all over Haiti compete in the Haitian National Football Championship. This is the biggest Haitian sporting event of the year.   Other popular sports in Haiti include basketball, volleyball and athletics (track and field). 

HAITIAN FOOD:

Every New Year’s Day, a long-standing Haitian tradition is preparing and making Soup Joumou. That’s kind of fun to say, but what is it?  Soup Joumou is a rich soup made from a squash base (giramont, or turban squash) with chicken, beef, noodles and vegetables. The tradition dates back to New Year’s Day in 1804, over two hundred years ago!  That’s the year Haiti gained independence from France!  Before that, only the French colonizers ate this rich soup. 

By making Soup Joumou for themselves, they rejoiced in their liberation and celebrated their independence with a tasty treat!


Haiti is very unique in its cuisine because of its French influence. Haitian cuisine is rooted in its own Creole roots. They like to use lots of peppers and spices in their dishes and pair those with starches, like rice, squash and plantains (shown below), which look like bananas. Haitians love their locally grown sweet fruits in meals and drinks, like coconuts, mangoes and papayas! What’s your favorite tropical fruit?

Haiti Food
Haiti Food
Haiti
CASTLES:
  1. The Palace of San Souci was built in Haiti in 1813 for King Henry I of Haiti. Do you recognize the name of the palace?! San Souci?  You might have heard it in  the Snory The Happy Prince! The Happy Prince grew up in SanSouci Palace, which is in Germany, but the Palace of San Souci was build for a french King, in Haiti!  Pretty wild they share the same name though right?!The Palace of Sans Souci in Haiti is now designated a World Heritage Site.
  2. La Citadelle Laferrière is a fortress, built in northern Haiti in the 1800s to demonstrate the power of the newly independent Haiti. Laferriere is the largest fortress in all of the Americas! And Haitians call it the 8th wonder of the world! Like The Palace of  San Souci, this fortress was also built during the reign of King Henry I to protect the royal family and at least 5,000 French citizens during the Haitian rebellion.   If the royal family ever needed to go to the fortress for safety, there were enough supplies in storehouses that could help them and thousands others survive for a year!   Do you think your pantry has enough food to last your family a full year?
Someday we hope you get to go to Haiti, and visit the castle, swim in the Caribbean sea like a mermaid, and eat delicious mango’s and Joumou soup!
The Mermaid & the Whale: Mindful Affirmations

Embrace the Power of Affirmations!

Imagine a world where your child starts and ends each day with positivity and confidence! By weaving affirmations into their daily routines, children can boost their self-esteem, build resilience, and cultivate a growth mindset. These skills empower them to face life’s challenges with courage and optimism.

Bedtime Bliss and Breakfast Boost:

Why not make affirmations a delightful part of your family’s routine? Enjoy these uplifting phrases together before bed, creating a peaceful atmosphere for sweet dreams. Then, share them again at breakfast to set a positive tone for the day ahead.

You can inspire our little ones to shine bright and embrace every opportunity that comes their way! 🌟

Free to be Myself
My Words are Powerful
Play & Learn
Download Play & Learn PDFs
Body Percussion Game & Activities

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Dancing Activity

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Haiti Coloring Page

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Haiti Fruits Coloring Page

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Matching Activity
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Make a Mermaid Headband
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Word Search
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Snoriezzz Science Tip

Blue Light

The Mermaid and the Whale Sleep Science Tips

Blue light changes sleep patterns! We see blue light every single day – what’s the big whoop? Blue lights have some good effects and not-so-good effects. Here we’re spotlighting our Snoriezzz Science Tip to figure out what blue lights are and how they affect sleep.

Learn More

Light allows us to see and most of our light comes from the sun!

Our phones, tablets and screens also make light. They make blue light!

Too much blue light can be bad! Why? It can disrupt our sleep, hurt our eyes and even make us feel tired.
If you are looking at screens for long periods of time one way to help your eyes is to wear cool glasses that help protect you from blue light!
It’s also a good idea to stop using all screens at least 2 hours before bedtime.
The Snory Godmothers use night filter settings on all their screens to minimize blue light exposure.
Learn More
There is so much to do without the phone! You can play with your friends, read a good book, or run around outside!
Learn More

It feels good to disconnect from screens. Plus, they are more fun to use when you spent time away from one.

Have fun kiddos – and remember to protect your eyes from blue light!

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