The Whale Who Could Not Sing

This beautiful audio songbook has been designed to lull your little ones to sleep while they listen to a lovely story about a lonely humpback whale who has a chance encounter with a butterfly out at sea. The unlikely couple goes on a great adventure together, teaching each other the value of friendship and love. There are 5 gorgeous original songs with a relaxing meditative introduction, setting those chilled-out vibes, asking children to focus on their breathing and feel their heartbeat…

Transcript

Hello,

My name is Joanna and today I'm going to read you a special story that I wrote about a lonely humpback whale who could not sing called Mafu.

The word Mafu means heart in the kingdom of Tonga where this particular whale lives.

Mafu the whale has a huge heart.

Have you ever thought what your heart is like?

Why not try putting your hand on your chest now and feel it beating?

Can you feel it?

Now before I start to read I want you to get really snuggly.

Perhaps you are lying down or in the car on a long journey or sitting cuddled up next to someone special.

Either way get super comfy and take a nice long deep breath in and sigh out whilst you imagine you're floating in the warm turquoise ocean.

If you haven't already then close your eyes.

Breathe in again and think of the sunshine warming your beautiful body.

Now bring a little smile onto your face which fills your heart with love and happiness.

Can you feel it?

Wait,

Well then I'm ready to begin.

Far away in the South Pacific Islands lived a whale who could not sing.

His name was Mafu and he travelled the turquoise seas alone in search of other whales.

But as he could not sing they could not hear him and as they could not hear him they could not find him.

All the other sea creatures thought it was strange that Mafu could not sing.

They teased him terribly saying things like a whale who cannot sing is like a lobster without claws.

Or Mafu did a coconut crack your head and knock the wind out of you?

Or why can't you sing Mafu?

Did a great white shark catch your tongue?

They all sniggered as he swam by.

They meant no harm but their words made him sad and his large heart ache.

I want to sing,

I want to sing,

I want to sing,

I want to sing.

Like the king of the open seas.

I want to sing,

I want to sing,

I want to sing,

I want to sing.

For every living thing in the open seas.

Oh if I sing,

Oh if I sing my heart will ring through the open seas.

Oh if I sing,

Oh if I sing my heart will ring through the open seas.

On a calm sunny day Mafu came up for air when a beautiful butterfly came flattering past.

He had never seen anything quite so stunning.

The whale breathed out a plume of water and a rainbow appeared.

The butterfly paused to see the different colours arch over her tiny flapping wings.

She looked down to see what appeared to be a small island.

The shy whale plucked up the courage to say,

Hello I'm Mafu,

What is your name?

The butterfly was shocked to see this small island was not an island but a large humpback whale.

My name is Papai said the butterfly.

I'm lost.

I was swept out to sea in a storm.

Do you mind if I sit on your head just to catch my breath?

Of course sighed the whale and the two chatted as she rested.

Our love is like an ocean,

An ocean and you are the rainbow above me.

I see you flying through my colours,

My colours.

I feel you pulling me skyward.

You're like magic,

You're like magic,

You're magic in the air.

You fill me,

You fill me with star dust in my head.

You're free now,

You're free now to float through the breeze.

You're free now,

You're free now to go where you please.

Our love is like an ocean,

An ocean and you are the rainbow above me.

I see you flying through my colours,

My colours.

I feel you pulling me skyward.

Our love is like an ocean,

An ocean,

An ocean.

The butterfly told stories about her friends in the jungle.

The banyan tree where she lived,

The fruit bats and her best friend Heather,

The Tongan Whistlerbird who sang her to sleep every night.

She explained how she missed her friends and was scared she would never get home.

The humpback whale shared his tales of swimming for days in Antarctica,

Of feeding on krill and sunbathing during the endless sunny days with seals and different species of penguins.

He also shared his dream of one day being able to sing like the other whales.

They chatted as the sun slowly fell over the expansive ocean and fell asleep beneath the glimmering stars.

It warmed their hearts to be close.

Together they did not feel so alone.

During the night Papaya dreamt up a wonderful plan.

Maffu she squealed,

Waking him from a deep slumber.

If you help me home to my island,

My friends from the banyan tree can teach you to sing.

Maffu was thrilled with the idea.

He breached high up into the air,

Slapping his large white pecs on the surface of the sea,

Creating sparkling diamonds of water.

They set off immediately.

Being with you there's nothing I can do.

I know you feel that too when we're together as a two.

There's love in the air,

Our worlds collided like a meteor.

When we're together as a two,

We're stuck together like glue,

Swimming through the deep blue.

Being with you there's nothing I can do.

I know you feel that too when we're together as a two.

There's love in the air,

Our worlds collided like a meteor.

When we're together as a two,

We're stuck together like glue,

Swimming through the deep blue.

There's love in the air,

Our worlds collided like a meteor.

When we're together as a two,

We're stuck together like glue,

Swimming through the deep blue.

The pair swam north until they met a passing booby bird.

Excuse me,

We are lost,

Explained Papai.

We're looking for my home island so Maffu the whale can learn to sing.

Huh,

A whale who cannot sing?

How absurd,

Shrieked the bird.

Maffu lowered his head with shame into the water.

Stop laughing,

Growled the butterfly.

Maffu will be a wonderful singer,

You just wait and see.

The booby bird flew off cackling.

Maffu rose to the surface with a glum look on his face.

Don't you listen to that silly booby bird,

He knows nothing,

Said Papai.

The whale grinned and they continued north on their adventures together.

For days the new companions travelled,

Making new friends wherever they went.

There was a friendly turtle gliding alone through the reef,

A naughty octopus and a cheeky whale shark.

As the days went by,

Maffu became more confident and content,

Enjoying the company of his new pals.

Eventually Papai spotted specks of green far off on the horizon.

She fluttered with excitement as they drew closer to her home.

Now I see the dusty pink horizon,

I feel the strength of the silence running through my bones.

Now I see my lush green island,

Sparking like a diamond,

It feels like I'm coming home.

And every time that I look down,

I feel afraid of what I might learn about myself.

And every time that I look up,

I feel alive,

There's something that's driving me to survive deep inside.

And every time that I look down,

I feel afraid of what I might learn about myself.

And every time that I look up,

I feel alive,

There's something that's driving me to survive deep inside.

As the sun was setting,

They reached Papai's island.

She called out to her friends who came racing to the shore.

Papai,

They yelled with glee,

We thought we'd never see you again,

We have missed you so much.

Papai peered down to introduce Maffu,

But he was hiding beneath the water.

He was scared the chirping birds would laugh at him for not being able to sing.

As Maffu slowly rose to the surface,

Heva,

The Tongan Whistlerbird,

Flew over to introduce herself.

She landed softly on his head,

And the whale let out the most almighty shriek as the birdclaws accidentally scratched his head.

Aweeeeeeeeoo!

Sung out the whale.

Papai and her friends were stunned,

The whale could sing!

It was the most beautiful,

Heartfelt,

Wistful sound they'd ever heard echoing through the ocean and over the islands.

You can sing!

Squealed Papai.

And sure enough,

He let out another burst of song.

Ooh-ee-yoo.

As he breached high in the air with tubulation,

He had never felt happier.

It turns out,

He could always sing.

He just never had the confidence to try.

The other humpback whales heard his melodic call and swam to meet him and his new jungle friends.

They had a tremendous night,

Singing,

Tail slapping and blowing fireworks of water into the moonlit skies.

And do you know what?

From that day on all the whales and the birds and the butterflies met every year for a big party where Matthew would perform his joyous song reminding everyone to follow their dreams and let their hearts sing.

The end.

You're the yellow in my box of paints.

Here for so long,

You're like the alphabet The rose of my tongue,

You're the white of my heart Be the house to my sassy,

I couldn't be any more lucky You make my heart go tickety boom,

Tickety boom Tickety boom,

Tickety boom,

Tickety boom Tickety boom,

Tickety boom,

Tickety boom Tickety boom,

Tickety boom,

Tickety boooom You're the candle on my birthday cake A swan flying over a glassy lake You're the spring in my step The talk to my pet With you I'm ready on the stairs I've been counting down the days Waiting for you in the city haze Now it's hard to believe that I can now breathe And smell the ocean breeze You make my heart go tickety boom,

Tickety boom You make my heart go tick-a-di-boom Tick-a-di-boom Tick,

Tick,

Tick,

Tick,

Tick Tick,

Tick,

Tick,

Tick,

Tick Tick,

Tick,

Tick,

Tick,

Tick

Reviews

My 8yo son’s favourite. Just beautiful 💖

My 6 year old daughter and I absolutely adore this story and Jo’s singing is otherworldly! We can’t wait to hear what you will do next, but in the meantime appreciate everything you have done so far!

Absolutely beautiful !

Our favourite bedtime meditation for the kids :)

Homeschooling mom here used this today, learning about whales this week. The kids and I loved it@