YourClassical Storytime

American Public Media

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Welcome to YourClassical Storytime from American Public Media, offering classic stories with a classical twist. Each episode features our storytellers recounting childhood favorites along with related classical music.

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72 episodes

'Why Evergreens Never Lose Their Leaves'

An injured little bird needs to find a safe home, but will the trees of the forest come to her rescue? Find out in the charming tale ‘Why Evergreens Never Lose Their Leaves,’ the latest episode of YourClassical Storytime — featuring narration by Valerie Kahler, illustrations by Nancy Carlson and music by Mihály Hajdú.

5m
Dec 01
'Millions of Cats'

What happens when an old man goes out on a trip to find his wife the perfect cat and returns with far too many mouths to feed? Find out in ‘Millions of Cats,’ the latest episode of YourClassical Storytime — featuring narration by Alex Simpson, music by Bohuslav Martinú, and illustrations and story by Wanda Gág.

6m
Nov 01
‘Two Frogs’

What happens when two frogs, one from Kyoto and the other from Osaka, decide to travel the rest of Japan and cross paths along the way? Find out in ‘Two Frogs,’ the latest episode of YourClassical Storytime – featuring narration by Aerin O’Malley, illustrations by Mia Jennings and Japanese classical music.

6m
Oct 01
‘Fall in Love With Your Brain’

Who needs to prepare for winter when you can play all day during the other seasons? But is it possible to have too much fun? Find out in ‘The Ant and the Grasshopper,’ the latest episode of YourClassical Storytime – featuring narration by Scott Blankenship, illustrations by Mia Jennings and music by Antonio Vivaldi.

4m
Sep 01
‘The Ant and the Grasshopper’

Who needs to prepare for winter when you can play all day during the other seasons? But is it possible to have too much fun? Find out in ‘The Ant and the Grasshopper,’ the latest episode of YourClassical Storytime – featuring narration by Scott Blankenship, illustrations by Mia Jennings and music by Antonio Vivaldi.

8m
Aug 01
‘A Dog of Mars’

Transported mysteriously to Mars, our hero John Carter meets a weird ten-legged companion. But is this strange creature a friend or foe? Find out in ‘A Dog of Mars,’ the latest episode of YourClassical Storytime – with storytelling by Randy Salas, illustrations by E.J. Thompson and music by Gustav Holst.

8m
Jul 01
‘The Wind and the Sun’

What if the wind and the sun had a friendly competition to see which one was the strongest? That’s exactly what happens in ‘The Wind and the Sun,’ the latest episode of YourClassical Storytime – with storytelling by Julie Amacher, illustrations by Nancy Carlson and music by Ludwig van Beethoven.

6m
Jun 01
‘The Turtle and the Flute’

When a turtle finds a flute on the rainforest floor, she opens up a world of possibilities! But what happens when a curious stranger hears her play? Find out in ‘The Turtle and the Flute,’ the latest episode of YourClassical Storytime, featuring narration by Ines Guanchez, Brazilian music and illustrations by E.J. Thompson.

7m
May 01
‘The Wish Fish’

What can small critters do when they’re too afraid to venture out into the forest? Find out in , by Katie O'Donoghue — a special “quiet time” episode of YourClassical Storytime to help young listeners learn to relax, featuring narration by Andrea Blain and music by John Field.

7m
Apr 01
‘The Little Squirrel Who Worried’

What can small critters do when they’re too afraid to venture out into the forest? Find out in , by Katie O'Donoghue — a special “quiet time” episode of YourClassical Storytime to help young listeners learn to relax, featuring narration by Andrea Blain and music by John Field.

7m
Mar 01
‘The Elephant’s Child’

Once upon a time, the elephant had no trunk – until a young one had an unfortunate run-in with a crocodile. Find out the long and short of it in the charming folk tale , the latest episode of YourClassical Storytime – featuring narration by Scott Blankenship, illustrations by E.J. Thompson and traditional classical music from India.

9m
Feb 01
'Outfoxed'

What happens when a crafty fox tries to trick a friendly stork and a wary rooster? Find out in 'Outfoxed,' the latest episode of YourClassical Storytime, featuring narration by Valerie Kahler, music by Dmitri Kabalevsky and illustrations by Mia Jennings.

5m
Jan 01
'The Lost Menorah'

The silver menorah has been in Reb Noson's family for 400 years, and it’s probably even older than that. But this Hanukkah, it’s gone missing! Find out what happens next in ‘The Lost Menorah,’ the latest episode of YourClassical Storytime – featuring a story by Howard Schwartz, narration by Theodore Bikel and music by the Eaken Piano Trio.

8m
Dec 01, 2023
'Something From Nothing: The Story of Fry Bread'

Fry bread takes only a few ingredients to make, but it brings a lot of people together. Find out why it has special meaning for American Indians in ‘Something from Nothing: The Story of Fry Bread,’ the latest episode of YourClassical Storytime.

7m
Nov 01, 2023
'The Little Man From Uxmal'

What happens when the nicest and best cow has a clumsy run-in with the Ice Fairy? Find out in ‘Sweet Arabella,’ the latest episode of YourClassical Storytime.

10m
Oct 01, 2023
'Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come!'

What happens when the nicest and best cow has a clumsy run-in with the Ice Fairy? Find out in ‘Sweet Arabella,’ the latest episode of YourClassical Storytime.

5m
Sep 01, 2023
'Sweet Arabella'

What happens when the nicest and best cow has a clumsy run-in with the Ice Fairy? Find out in ‘Sweet Arabella,’ the latest episode of YourClassical Storytime.

6m
Aug 01, 2023
'Dog Days of Summer'

Bruce the goose always swims his morning laps alone, until his life changes forever on one fateful summer day. Find out what happens in ‘Goose, Goose, Baby Goose!’ – the new episode of YourClassical Storytime, with narration by Ryan Lohr, music by Charles Koechlin and illustrations by Mia Jennings.

8m
Jul 01, 2023
'Goose, Goose, Baby Goose'

Nancy Carlson’s classic charmer ‘I Like Me’ is a short but sweet tale of a young pig who learns how to practice good habits of self-esteem and pride – embracing how she looks, what she likes to do and, most importantly, how to be kind to herself. And it’s the newest episode of YourClassical Storytime, featuring storytelling by Ines Guanchez with the help of a bunch of kids and the music of Luigi Boccherini.

5m
Jun 01, 2023
'I Like Me!'

Nancy Carlson’s classic charmer ‘I Like Me’ is a short but sweet tale of a young pig who learns how to practice good habits of self-esteem and pride – embracing how she looks, what she likes to do and, most importantly, how to be kind to herself. And it’s the newest episode of YourClassical Storytime, featuring storytelling by Ines Guanchez with the help of a bunch of kids and the music of Luigi Boccherini.

5m
May 01, 2023
'Arion and the Dolphin'

What happens when the world’s greatest harpist gets thrown into the sea by jealous pirates? Find out in the YourClassical Storytime telling of the ancient Greek myth ‘Arion and the Dolphin,’ with art and narration by Ana Freeberg and Ally Thompson, and enchanting harp music performed by Susann McDonald.

10m
Apr 01, 2023
'Mighty Mikko!'

What happens when a poor, lonely woodcutter meets a talking fox? He becomes Mighty Mikko! Find out how their adventures unfold in this charming adaptation of a Finnish folk tale, the latest episode of YourClassical Storytime – featuring narration by Lynn Norris, music by Jean Sibelius and illustrations by Raul Villanueva.  

12m
Mar 01, 2023
'Why Crocodiles Have Tears'

Ever wonder why you never see an owl in the daytime? The answer makes for quite a story. This classic folk tale from Puerto Rico is one of the misplaced feathers, a colorful coat, and a lesson about selfishness and sharing. Find out more in this episode of Your Classical Storytime, featuring storytelling by John Birge, music by Gioachino Rossini, and illustrations by Mia Jennings.

8m
Feb 01, 2023
'Why the Owl Only Comes Out at Night'

Ever wonder why you never see an owl in the daytime? The answer makes for quite a story. This classic folk tale from Puerto Rico is one of the misplaced feathers, a colorful coat, and a lesson about selfishness and sharing. Find out more in this episode of Your Classical Storytime, featuring storytelling by John Birge, music by Gioachino Rossini, and illustrations by Mia Jennings.

11m
Jan 01, 2023
'The Snow Maiden'

There are many different versions of ‘The Snow Maiden,’ but this one reminds us to treasure winter as a special time of year instead of always wishing for warmer weather. Find out more in the latest episode of YourClassical Storytime, featuring storytelling by Valerie Kahler, music by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov and illustrations by Nancy Carlson.

7m
Dec 01, 2022
'Lurkey Is Lost!'

Thanksgiving is coming, but Lurkey the turkey is nowhere to be found. Can you help the farmer find the wayward bird? Grab paper and crayons and follow along as narrator Melanie Renate and artist Xee Reiter tell the story, with guitar music by Justin Holland, in the latest episode of YourClassical Storytime.

9m
Nov 01, 2022
'Día De Los Muertos'

Mexico’s ‘El Día de los Muertos,’ also known as the ‘Day of the Dead,’ is dedicated to remembering loved ones who have passed. Learn more about this special day in the latest episode of ‘YourClassical StoryTime,’ featuring narration by Inés Guanchez, illustrations by Raul Villanueva and traditional Mexican music.

8m
Oct 01, 2022
'Bells in the Night'

How does a sleepless king deal with clock towers that simply won’t chime together in his kingdom? Find out in the timely tale “Bells in the Night,” the latest episode of YourClassical Storytime – with storytelling by Valerie Kahler and Michael Barone, music by Leopold and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and illustrations by EJ Thompson.

10m
Sep 01, 2022
'Scheherazade'

Once upon a time there was a beautiful, clever storyteller named Scheherazade. Find out how her magical tales captured the heart of a bitter king in “Scheherazade,” the latest episode of YourClassical Storytime, featuring narration by Jillene Khan, music by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov and illustrations by Nancy Carlson.

10m
Aug 01, 2022
'Backyard Night Lights'

Once upon a time, there was a girl who was no bigger than a thumb – which made her just the right size to be kidnapped by a frog! Find out what happens to her in the wild adventures of “Thumbelina,” the latest episode of YourClassical Storytime, featuring narration by Julie Amacher, music by Maurice Ravel and illustrations by Nancy Carlson.

6m
Jul 01, 2022