Discover Why the Sun and Moon Live in the Sky, a playful Efik folktale from Nigeria that teaches children to listen carefully before saying yes.
🎧 Listen to the Episode
Episode Overview
Length
🕛 13 mins
Host
🎙️ Laura Menousek
Release Date
August 27, 2026
Guests
Brooklyn and Maya
Journey Highlights
- Travel to southeastern Nigeria to hear the traditional Efik story Why the Sun and Moon Live in the Sky.
- Meet Sun, Moon, Water, and the enormous crowd of water creatures arriving for an unforgettable visit.
- Join the storytelling by answering Water’s repeated question: “May we come in?”
- Discover how traditional stories use imagination and wonder to explore questions about the natural world.
- Cross the Friendship Bridge to see how communities around the world create different stories inspired by the same sense of wonder.
- Fill your Belief Backpack with the takeaway: Listen carefully before you say yes.
- Practice recognizing when it is time to pause, speak honestly, and make a new plan.
For Parents and Educators
Why the Sun and Moon Live in the Sky offers a playful way to explore listening, decision-making, boundaries, and the storytelling traditions of the Efik people of southeastern Nigeria. Before listening, invite children to predict why the Sun and Moon might live above Earth. Afterward, clarify that this traditional folktale is an imaginative explanation created to explore a question about nature—not a scientific explanation of the solar system.
Use the episode to begin conversations about what it means to truly listen. Sun heard Water’s warning, but he did not stop to consider what it meant. Children can practice pausing before agreeing, asking questions when a plan is unclear, and recognizing that kindness does not always mean saying yes.
Try these discussion questions:
- What warning did Water give Sun?
- Did Sun hear Water, fully listen to Water, or both?
- When should Sun and Moon have paused to make a new plan?
- Why might it sometimes be difficult to change a “yes” to a “wait” or “no”?
- What questions could Sun have asked before inviting Water?
- How can we be welcoming while still respecting our limits?
- What questions about nature would you like to answer with an imaginative story?
Extend the learning by locating Nigeria on a map, learning more about the Efik people, comparing the folktale with a scientific explanation of why the Sun and Moon appear in our sky, or inviting children to illustrate the increasingly crowded house. Younger children can act out the rising water with their bodies, while older students can identify each decision point and suggest a safer or more thoughtful response.
Did You Know? For Adults
The Efik are a living cultural community, not simply people from an old folktale. Most Efik people live in southeastern Nigeria, especially around Calabar and southern Cross River State. Efik communities are also found in western Cameroon.
Efik is both the name of a people and a language. Efik belongs to the Niger-Congo language family and is closely related to Ibibio. It remains widely spoken in Cross River State. Indiana University Efik Language Portal
Rivers are central to the Efik homeland. Many historic Efik communities developed along the Cross River and its creeks near the Atlantic coast. This watery environment has shaped fishing, canoe travel, trade, and food traditions. Making Water’s enormous community especially meaningful in the episode’s folktale.
Efik oral literature includes much more than folktales. Stories have been preserved alongside songs, proverbs, riddles, tongue twisters, commemorative poetry and epic poetry. These forms can entertain, record community knowledge, explore human behavior and pass ideas between generations.
Ekpe masquerades are more than colorful performances. Their clothing, movement, music, and symbols communicate cultural knowledge and identity. UNESCO has worked with members of the Calabar community to document this heritage with local participation. UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage
The Efik use a visual communication system called Nsibidi. Nsibidi includes signs that can represent relationships, actions, objects, and ideas. It originated among the Ejagham and became shared and adapted by several neighboring peoples, including the Efik. It should therefore be described as a Cross River cultural tradition rather than an invention belonging exclusively to one group. Michael C. Carlos Museum
Some Nsibidi signs appear on Ukara cloth. This distinctive cloth traditionally features white symbols against a deep indigo-blue background. Ukara is associated with Ekpe membership, and some designs carry meanings intended only for people with the appropriate cultural knowledge.
Efik cuisine is celebrated throughout Nigeria. Well-known foods associated with Efik and neighboring Cross River communities include Edikang Ikong, Afang soup, Afia Efere and Ekpang Nkukwo. Leafy vegetables, yams, palm products, fish and other seafood feature prominently in many dishes.
Ekombi is a well-known Efik dance tradition. Its graceful movements are often connected to the waves and rhythms of the water. Dance can combine storytelling, music, clothing, and movement while celebrating Efik identity.
Efik ceremonial clothing reflects centuries of cultural exchange. Women may wear the fitted Ofod Ukod Anwang or the long, flowing Onyonyo. The Onyonyo shows Victorian-era influence, but Efik communities transformed that silhouette into a distinctive expression of local elegance and identity.
Efik and Cross River traditions also survived across the Atlantic. Knowledge connected to Ekpe was carried by Africans forced to Cuba during the transatlantic slave trade. There, it contributed to the development of Afro-Cuban Abakuá society, showing how displaced communities preserved and transformed cultural knowledge under extraordinarily difficult conditions. African Union Library
*The Efik are one of several distinct peoples living in the culturally diverse Cross River region. Their traditions continue to develop, and individual Efik families may participate in them in different ways.
Books and Activities to go with Why the Sun and Moon Live in the Sky
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Begin With the Story That Inspired the Episode
Why the Sun and the Moon Live in the Sky
by Elphinstone Dayrell, illustrated by Blair Lent
If you choose only one book to accompany this episode, make it this one.
Why the Sun and the Moon Live in the Sky is a beautifully illustrated retelling of the traditional story children hear in the podcast. Sun regularly visits his friend Water, but Water never visits Sun. When Sun asks why, Water explains that his family is far too large for Sun’s home. Sun builds a much bigger house, extends the invitation, and soon discovers that Water’s warning was more serious than he realized.
The familiar story gives children an opportunity to compare two retellings. Which animals arrive in the book? How does Water deliver his warning? When could Sun and Moon have stopped and made another plan? Which funny, dramatic, or descriptive details were added by each storyteller?
Comparing versions also helps children understand an important feature of traditional storytelling: stories passed from person to person can be told in more than one way. The central story remains recognizable, while individual storytellers shape the pacing, descriptions, dialogue, and details for their listeners.
Blair Lent’s distinctive illustrations earned the book a Caldecott Honor, making this an appealing addition to a home, school, or folktale library.
Best for: Ages 4–8, read-alouds, folktale studies, story comparison, and sequencing activities
Try this after listening: Ask children to arrange these events in order: Water gives a warning, Sun builds a house, the creatures enter, the water rises, and Sun and Moon climb into the sky.
Discover the Real Country Behind the Story
Africa, Amazing Africa: Country by Country
by Atinuke, illustrated by Mouni Feddag
The episode begins in southeastern Nigeria, but children may not yet understand where Nigeria is—or how large and diverse the African continent really is.
Written by Nigerian storyteller Atinuke, Africa, Amazing Africa introduces all 55 African countries through lively illustrations and accessible information about geography, people, languages, history, food, animals, music, sports, cities, landscapes, and everyday life.
This is not a book children will read once and place back on the shelf. It is the kind of oversized reference book they can return to whenever a story, celebration, person, or tradition leads Faithfully Explore! to a new part of Africa.
Begin with the section on West Africa and find Nigeria. Then look for the Atlantic coast and the southeastern region associated with the Efik people. Children can compare Nigeria with its neighbors and begin replacing the vague idea of “Africa” with the names, locations, and identities of individual countries.
The bright pages keep the information from feeling like a textbook, while the country-by-country organization makes it useful for older elementary students, homeschoolers, and classrooms.
Best for: Ages 7–12, geography studies, classrooms, homeschool libraries, and globally curious families
Why it is worth owning: It supports far more than one episode. Use it whenever children encounter an African country, historical figure, folktale, animal, language, food, or celebration.
GeoPuzzle Africa & Middle East Jigsaw Puzzle
65-piece geography puzzle
Once children have found Nigeria in a book, let them find it with their hands.
The GeoPuzzle Africa and Middle East set contains 65 pieces, shaped like the countries they represent. Instead of merely memorizing a dot on a map, children begin to notice Nigeria’s size, coastline, location in West Africa, and relationship to neighboring countries.
That physical experience matters. A child who has handled the Nigeria piece, fitted it beside its neighbors, and rebuilt the continent is more likely to remember where the episode’s story comes from.
The completed puzzle is large enough for children to gather around, making it useful for families, learning centers, small groups, and classrooms. It also adds a calm, screen-free activity to an episode-based lesson.
Best for: Ages 6 and older, geography centers, family learning, homeschool morning baskets, and classroom map work
Try this after listening:
- Find Nigeria.
- Identify West Africa.
- Locate the Atlantic Ocean.
- Find three countries that border Nigeria.
- Place a small paper Sun, Moon, or water droplet on the country to mark where the story comes from.
A Is for Africa
by Ifeoma Onyefulu
For younger children, A Is for Africa offers a gentle visual introduction to Nigerian life and cultural traditions.
Author and photographer Ifeoma Onyefulu grew up in eastern Nigeria. Her alphabet book uses vivid photographs to introduce children to family connections, clothing, food, crafts, celebrations, and familiar objects. Each letter provides a new image to examine and a new conversation to begin.
This book is especially valuable because a folktale should not be a child’s only impression of a culture. Traditional stories can introduce history, imagination, and shared values, but children also need opportunities to see real people, families, places, and everyday experiences.
Pairing A Is for Africa with the episode helps children understand that the Efik story is part of a living region with many communities, languages, traditions, and modern experiences.
Best for: Ages 3–7, preschool and early-elementary classrooms, alphabet learning, cultural studies, and visual learners
Try this together: Choose three photographs from the book and ask, “What do you notice? What do you wonder? What would you like to learn more about?”
Turn Water’s Visit Into a Science Investigation
Hey, Water!
by Antoinette Portis
In the traditional story, Water talks, travels, brings guests, and fills Sun and Moon’s home. After enjoying Water as a character, children can investigate water as a real substance that appears all around them.
In Hey, Water!, a curious child notices water in puddles, streams, oceans, weather, household objects, and even her own body. The conversational language and bold illustrations make the book feel playful, but its scientific ideas give children plenty to investigate.
This is an especially effective bridge between folklore and science. Children do not have to choose between imaginative stories and scientific explanations. They can appreciate how earlier storytellers wondered about the natural world and then use observation and experimentation to discover how the world works.
The book also introduces different forms and movements of water, creating a natural opening for conversations about evaporation, condensation, precipitation, collection, and conservation.
Best for: Ages 4–8, early science units, water investigations, nature study, and read-alouds
Ask while reading:
- Where did we encounter water today?
- Can water be present even when we cannot see it?
- How does water travel?
- What happens to a puddle after the Sun comes out?
- Where might the water in a cloud have been before?
Roylco Water Cycle Experiment Kit
After reading about water, let children watch it move.
The Roylco Water Cycle Experiment Kit turns a sunny window into a small science laboratory. Children decorate the illustrated model bags, add water, place them near a window, and observe water evaporating, collecting in droplets, and falling again.
Because the process unfolds over time, children have a reason to return, observe carefully, record changes, and make predictions. What will happen after several hours? Where did the droplets come from? Why are some parts of the bag wetter than others?
The set includes 24 reusable model bags, making it an especially practical choice for classrooms, homeschool co-ops, tutoring centers, libraries, and science clubs. Families can use the additional bags for siblings, friends, repeated trials, or experiments in windows that receive different amounts of sunlight.
This activity also helps children separate the story’s imaginative explanation from scientific investigation. Water did not literally visit Sun’s house—but energy from the Sun really does help move water through Earth’s water cycle.
Best for: Ages 5 and older, classrooms, co-ops, group science lessons, and hands-on learners
Extend the experiment: Place bags in two different windows. Ask children to predict which bag will show changes first and explain their reasoning.
Help Children Understand That Kindness Is Not Always Saying Yes
The Not-So-Friendly Friend: How to Set Boundaries for Healthy Friendships
by Christina Furnival, illustrated by Katie Dwyer
Sun’s invitation begins with kindness. The problem is not that Sun wants to welcome a friend. The problem is that Sun continues agreeing even after the situation becomes unsafe and unmanageable.
That makes The Not-So-Friendly Friend a powerful social-emotional companion to the episode.
Through a child-friendly rhyming story, children learn how to recognize unkind friendship behavior, communicate limits assertively, and seek help when a friend does not respect a boundary. It gives parents and educators language for discussing a situation many children experience but struggle to explain: What should you do when someone calls themselves your friend but repeatedly makes you feel hurt, uncomfortable, pressured, or small?
The book reinforces one of the episode’s most important messages:
Kindness does not require us to agree to everything.
Children can be caring and still say, “Please stop.” They can value a friendship and ask for change. They can make a different plan, step away, or ask a trusted adult for help.
Best for: Ages 4–8, friendship lessons, school counseling, bullying prevention, and family conversations
Talk about it together:
- What does a healthy friend do?
- How can you tell when something does not feel right?
- What words can you use when you need someone to stop?
- Who are the trusted adults you can ask for help?
- Can changing a plan sometimes protect a friendship?
I Can Say No: Help Kids Protect Boundaries and Build Confidence
by Jenny Simmons, illustrated by Kristin Sorra
“No” is a very small word, but many children find it surprisingly difficult to say.
They may worry about disappointing someone, appearing rude, losing a friend, or getting into trouble. They may also have absorbed the message that being kind means always cooperating, sharing, joining, hugging, helping, or agreeing.
I Can Say No helps children understand that they can use their voices. The examples extend beyond personal space to include bullying, friendship pressure, unwanted play, and times when a child simply needs to be alone.
This book fits the Faithfully Explore! episode particularly well because Water gives Sun and Moon several opportunities to pause. They do not need to reject Water as a friend. They simply need to say, “Wait. Our house is full. We need a new plan.”
That distinction matters for children. “No,” “not right now,” and “we need another plan” are not necessarily unkind answers. Sometimes they are the most honest, responsible, and caring answers available.
Best for: Ages 5–10, confidence building, personal-boundary lessons, friendship discussions, and children who have difficulty speaking up
Practice these useful phrases:
- “No, thank you.”
- “I don’t want to do that.”
- “Please stop.”
- “I need some space.”
- “That plan is not working for me.”
- “Let’s find something we can both enjoy.”
- “I need to ask an adult for help.”
Invite Children to Become the Storytellers
Asmodee Rory’s Story Cubes Classic
The Friendship Bridge in the episode reminds children that people around the world have created stories to explore questions about nature:
Why is the Sun in the sky? Why does the Moon appear at night? Why does a certain animal look or move the way it does? Where does thunder come from?
Rory’s Story Cubes let children continue that tradition of imaginative wondering.
The classic set contains nine dice covered with pictures. Children roll the cubes and use the images to invent a story. There is no single correct interpretation and no required ending. A picture might become a character, setting, problem, clue, or surprising solution.
Children who freeze when asked to “write a story” often find picture prompts much less intimidating. They can tell their story aloud, act it out, draw it, record it, or write it down. The game is compact enough for a classroom center, restaurant table, road trip, family game night, or homeschool writing basket.
Best for: Ages 6 and older, oral storytelling, creative writing, family games, language development, and reluctant writers
Create a Faithfully Explore! “why story”:
- Roll three to five cubes.
- Choose something in nature.
- Ask a “why” question about it.
- Use the rolled pictures to invent an imaginative answer.
- Tell the story aloud before writing it.
- End with an idea listeners can carry in their Belief Backpacks.
Children might create stories such as:
- Why the Turtle Carries a House
- Why Rain Taps on Windows
- Why the Crab Walks Sideways
- Why Stars Only Whisper at Night
- Why the River Never Stops Traveling
Choose the Right Resources for Your Family or Classroom
You do not need every item to create a meaningful learning experience. Choose the combination that best matches your children’s ages and interests.
Best Direct Companion
Choose Why the Sun and the Moon Live in the Sky to compare the published picture-book retelling with the Faithfully Explore! episode.
Best Cultural and Geography Collection
Combine:
- Africa, Amazing Africa
- A Is for Africa
- GeoPuzzle Africa & Middle East
Together, these resources help children locate Nigeria, explore the diversity of the African continent, and connect a traditional story to real people and places.
Best Science Extension
Combine:
- Hey, Water!
- Roylco Water Cycle Experiment Kit
Children move from an imaginative story about Water to direct observation of evaporation, condensation, and precipitation.
Best Friendship and Boundaries Collection
Combine:
- The Not-So-Friendly Friend
- I Can Say No
These books extend the Belief Backpack takeaway into practical language children can use when they feel pressured, uncomfortable, overwhelmed, or unsure.
Best Creative Storytelling Extension
Combine:
- Why the Sun and the Moon Live in the Sky
- Rory’s Story Cubes
Children study how one traditional “why story” works and then create an original story of their own.
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