Circle Round

WBUR

About

Created and produced by parents of young children, WBUR's Circle Round adapts carefully selected folktales from around the world into sound- and music-rich radio plays for kids ages 3-103. Each 15 to 25-minute episode explores important issues like kindness, persistence and generosity. And each episode ends with an activity that inspires a deeper conversation between children and grown-ups.

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453 episodes

Stealing Summer

Bestselling children's author Meena Harris (Maya's Big Question, Kamala and Maya's Big Idea) plays an ambitious coyote in this Shoshone, Shasta and Hupa legend about how summer and winter came to be. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here https://wbur.fm/42KQfw3.

17m
Feb 24
Down the Garden Path

Recorded live at Symphony Hall with Boston Symphony Orchestra players and a star-studded cast, this Buddhist story from Tibet and India proves we can all be helpers, no matter our size. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here https://wbur.fm/42KQfw3.

25m
Feb 18
The Masked Bandit

Recorded live at Symphony Hall with Boston Symphony Orchestra players and a star-studded cast, this Sioux legend follows a rascally raccoon on a gutsy -- and gummy -- quest. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here https://wbur.fm/42KQfw3.

25m
Feb 10
The Noise Next Door

Recorded live in Glendale, CA, this Haitian tale about two blacksmiths whose banging, clanging, clinking and clanking cause a presidential uproar. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here https://wbur.fm/42KQfw3.

24m
Feb 03
Goodnight Sun

Recorded live in Glendale, CA, this story with roots in India and Vietnam follows a trio of birds on an illuminating adventure to bring back to the sun. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here https://wbur.fm/42KQfw3.

19m
Jan 27
Over the Sea | Ep. 311

Tatyana Ali (Abbott Elementary, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air) stars as a savvy starfish who outwits a wily whale in this tale from Aboriginal Australia. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here https://wbur.fm/42KQfw3.

23m
Jan 20
The Fourth Post | Ep. 310

Jeff Meacham (Black-ish, Vampirina) plays a hapless hero whose life turns upside-down in this humorous tale from Great Britain, Italy, Russia and the Philippines. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here https://wbur.fm/42KQfw3.

27m
Jan 13
Encore: The Fairy Fort

Taylor Richardson (The Gilded Age) and Alison Wright (The Americans, Snowpiercer) co-star in this Irish tale about mischievous fairies and the power of music. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here https://wbur.fm/42KQfw3.

22m
Jan 06
Encore: The Patched-Up Coat

NPR's Peter Sagal (Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me!) stars in this Russian story about how fantastically priceless a little generosity can be. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here https://wbur.fm/42KQfw3.

19m
Dec 30, 2025
Encore: Finding the Light

Kennedy Kanagawa (Into The Woods) plays a young man who brings light to a dark world in this tale with roots in Alaska Native and First Nations legends. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here https://wbur.fm/42KQfw3.

19m
Dec 23, 2025
Python’s Drum | Ep. 309

Gabe Kunda (Marvel Rivals, Apex Legends) and Natasha Rothwell (The White Lotus, Insecure) co-star in a Ugandan legend about friendship, rivalry, and making music. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here https://wbur.fm/42KQfw3.

27m
Dec 16, 2025
Birbal's Barrels | Ep. 309

Ravi V. Patel (Animal Control, LEGO Masters Jr.) headlines this Indian tale about distinguishing need from greed with help from grain, gold, and a barrel of lies. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here https://wbur.fm/42KQfw3.

24m
Dec 09, 2025
The Underestimated Beetle | Ep. 307

Recorded live in Charlotte, NC, this Brazilian tale pits a round-rumped, fleet-footed critter against a teeny-tiny insect in a surprisingly high-flying race. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here https://wbur.fm/42KQfw3.

20m
Dec 02, 2025
A Sticky Situation | Ep. 306

Recorded live in Charlotte, NC, this Japanese legend about a rhyming pine tree puts a (literally) sappy new spin on "poetic justice." Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here https://wbur.fm/42KQfw3.

20m
Nov 25, 2025
How the Turkey Got Its Gobble | Ep. 305 (A Podcast Turducken with Terrestrials and Wow in the World)

Fellow kidcasts Terrestrials and Wow in the World join us for a story-stuffed special about smart chickens, mysterious duck quacks, and how the turkey got its gobble. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here https://wbur.fm/42KQfw3.

33m
Nov 18, 2025
Little Peacock’s Plumage | Ep. 304

Alfred Hsing (Train Dreams, The Book of Boba Fett) stars in a Chinese legend about a kind bird, a mystical fairy, and the magic of giving. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here https://wbur.fm/42KQfw3.

22m
Nov 11, 2025
Whatever You Like | Ep. 303

Recorded live at Symphony Hall with Boston Symphony Orchestra members and a star-studded cast, this story with roots in Jewish and Indian lore proves that when you weigh your words, they can be worth their weight in gold! Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here https://wbur.fm/42KQfw3.

26m
Nov 04, 2025
The Sunlight Tree | Ep. 302

Recorded live at Symphony Hall with Boston Symphony Orchestra members and a star-studded cast, this Swedish tale sheds magical light on kindness, caring, and letting roots run deep. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here https://wbur.fm/42KQfw3.

27m
Oct 28, 2025
The Tree of Love | Ep. 301

Real-life couple Paige Davis (Trading Spaces, Pen Pals) and Patrick Page (The Gilded Age, Archduke) headline a Greek legend about two people whose love is so strong, they find a divine way to stay together forever. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here https://wbur.fm/42KQfw3.

25m
Oct 21, 2025
The Stone Horse

Recorded live in Parker, CO, this Chinese adventure story shows how kindness and hard work can breathe new life into anything... including stone! Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here https://wbur.fm/42KQfw3.

25m
Oct 14, 2025
The Palace of Cats

Recorded live in Parker, CO, this magical Palestinian tale introduces you to wisecracking elders, wayward felines, and the unexpected rewards generosity can bring. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here https://wbur.fm/42KQfw3.

27m
Oct 07, 2025
Encore: The Scholar's Reward

Summer Bishil (The Magicians, Four Samosas) and Michael Maliakel (Aladdin on Broadway) star in an India tale about the first chess game and the surprising ripple effects of our actions.

25m
Sep 30, 2025
The Right Apple

Academy Award nominee June Squibb (Thelma, Eleanor the Great) headlines a Jewish Turkish story about taking a wrong turn and finding the right prize.

22m
Sep 23, 2025
Sundown on Sunday

Charlet Takahashi Chung (Wylde Pak, Rugrats) stars in a Japanese folktale about a clever farmer who gives herself a helping hand... and foot!

21m
Sep 16, 2025
The Round Mossy StoneBéchir Sylvain (Jurassic World Rebirth) stars as trickster Anansi in a West African tale about a magic stone, a major trick, and getting a taste of your own medicine.

Béchir Sylvain (Jurassic World Rebirth) stars as trickster Anansi in a West African tale about a magic stone, a major trick, and getting a taste of your own medicine.

24m
Sep 09, 2025
The First Councilor

Danielle Panabaker (The Flash) and James Wolk (Mad Men, Happy Face) headline a Swedish tale about an uncertain king, a magic fairy, and a monumental decision.

27m
Sep 02, 2025
Princess Persistence

Aparna Brielle (FUBAR, A.P. Bio) stars as a legendary Indian princess whose love, devotion and courage face the ultimate test.

24m
Aug 26, 2025
True Colors

Heather Burns (Bored to Death, Manchester by the Sea) and Ajay Naidu (Office Space, Blindspot) headline a Bantu, Zulu and Tumbuka tale about why the hyena's coat is spotted and scraggly.

22m
Aug 19, 2025
Milk from a Bull

Recorded live at Tanglewood with Boston Symphony Orchestra musicians and a star-studded cast, this tale with roots in India, Mongolia, Siberia and the Philippines is all about thinking outside the box... and inside the jar.

28m
Aug 12, 2025
The Seamstress and the Deev

Recorded live at Tanglewood with Boston Symphony Orchestra musicians and a star-studded cast, this Afghan tale follows a savvy seamstress and her chatty kitty on a royally epic adventure.

28m
Aug 05, 2025