The Lone Dragon
Ellen Wong (Beacon 23, GLOW) headlines a Chinese legend about how the dragon came to be a powerful symbol of prosperity and luck.
Feb 06, 2024•21 min•Season 7Ep. 37
Circle Round
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.
Episodes
Something Fishy
Jorma Taccone (The Lonely Island, Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse) stars in a tale from Hawaii about a fisherman whose magical gift leads to a fishy situation.
Jan 30, 2024•23 min•Season 7Ep. 36
The Seal of Fate
Ahmed Mawas (Human Resources, Rescuing Christmas) plays a king with a knack for finding the truth and sealing the deal in this tale from Persia.
Jan 23, 2024•26 min•Season 7Ep. 35
The Sharpest Tack
Negin Farsad (Fake the Nation, Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me!) and Stacey Vanek Smith (Planet Money, The Indicator) face off in a battle of wits in this tale with roots in North America, China, and the Middle East.
Jan 16, 2024•24 min•Season 7Ep. 34
Rhyming Rhino
Kel Mitchell (Good Burger 2, Kenan and Kel) plays a hungry rhino with a gift for trickery and poetry in this African tale from the savanna.
Jan 09, 2024•27 min•Season 7Ep. 33
Encore: The Nine Sticks
Maulik Pancholy (Phineas and Ferb; Mira, Royal Detective) and Nikesh Patel (Four Weddings and a Funeral, The Devil’s Hour) headline this Indian story that asks what's more precious: glittering jewels, or good friends?
Jan 02, 2024•20 min•Season 7Ep. 32
The Forest Folk
Recorded live at CitySpace at The Lavine Broadcast Center in Boston, Mass., this German tale about unconditional love explains the enchanting origins of a classic holiday tradition.
Dec 26, 2023•27 min•Season 7Ep. 31
Encore: The Horse of a Different Color
Christina Anthony (Mixed-ish, Key & Peele) and Tony winner Lindsay Mendez (Carousel, Merrily We Roll Along) play a one-of-a-kind horse and rider in this enchanted tale from across the Spanish-speaking world and beyond.
Dec 19, 2023•26 min•Season 7Ep. 30
Encore: Coyote's Flame
Brittany O'Grady (Little Voice, The White Lotus) stars in a Native American tale about a cunning creature who uses teamwork to bring light, sun and fire to the dark, cold world.
Dec 12, 2023•19 min•Season 7Ep. 29
The Secret of Success
Helen Hong (Family Switch, The Thundermans) stars in a tale with English, Welsh, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Indian roots about how imagination and effort affect supply and demand.
Dec 05, 2023•26 min•Season 7Ep. 28
The Valley Visitor
NPR’s Ailsa Chang (All Things Considered) headlines a Chinese tale about a mysterious guest, a raging storm, and the true fruits of kindness.
Nov 28, 2023•20 min•Season 7Ep. 27
Encore: The Red Leather Shoes
Aasif Mandvi (The Daily Show, Evil) and Madhur Jaffrey (Madhur Jaffrey's Curry Nation, I Feel Bad) co-star in this Indian story about a wise king, a generous shoemaker, and a priceless pair of shoes.
Nov 21, 2023•25 min•Season 7Ep. 26
Riches to Rags
Veteran Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me! panelists Tom Bodett and Roxanne Roberts co-star in a Dutch tale about a treasure so precious, it's priceless, and so valuable, it's invaluable!
Nov 14, 2023•23 min•Season 7Ep. 25
The Upside-Down Tree
Comedian Alonzo Bodden (Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me!, Heavy Lightweight) headlines this African legend about how one animal’s mischief created the savanna’s most majestic, magical trees.
Nov 07, 2023•20 min•Season 7Ep. 24
The Four Winds
Kimberly Guerrero (Spirit Rangers, Reservation Dogs) stars in a tale from the Lakota people about one thieving fox and four wise winds.
Oct 31, 2023•23 min•Season 7Ep. 23
The Crowning Achievement
Faith Salie (Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me, CBS Sunday Morning) stars in a Jewish legend about a princess who learns how to lead with her head and her heart.
Oct 24, 2023•25 min•Season 7Ep. 22
The Sweetest Sounds
NPR's Rachel Martin (Up First, Enlighten Me) and Ayesha Rascoe (Weekend Edition, Up First) co-star in a Hungarian tale about a violinist, a wizardess, and listening to the music of your heart.
Oct 17, 2023•20 min•Season 7Ep. 21
Heart and Stone
Joshua Johnson (The Night Light with Joshua Johnson, Now Tonight with Joshua Johnson) headlines this international tale about losing your heart and finding an adventure.
Oct 10, 2023•25 min•Season 7Ep. 20
The Stork King
Julian Lerner (The Wonder Years, Alma's Way) stars in a Ukrainian tale about how high-flying risks can pay off in the end.
Oct 03, 2023•29 min•Season 7Ep. 19
The Empty Barrel
Anjali Bhimani (Overwatch, Stray Gods) stars in this Moroccan Jewish tale about a woman who doesn’t view chores as a barrel of fun, until they lead to a boatload of adventure!
Sep 26, 2023•25 min•Season 7Ep. 18
The Clock Bird
Byron Mann (The Modelizer) plays a preening, boastful bird in this Latin American story about learning there's no "I" in team.
Sep 19, 2023•18 min•Season 7Ep. 17
The Bright Side
Broadway star Liana Hunt (Back to the Future) headlines this tale with Polish and Hispanic roots about seeing the bright side, even when things get dark.
Sep 12, 2023•29 min•Season 7Ep. 16
Encore: The Star Fruit Tree
Oscar nominee Stephanie Hsu (Everything Everywhere All At Once, The Monkey King) headlines this magical Vietnamese tale about the sweet rewards generosity and contentment can bring.
Sep 05, 2023•21 min•Season 7Ep. 15
Big news from Rebecca Sheir… plus an exclusive Circle Round story!
Announcing an exciting new way for you to Circle Round with us, support public radio and get some really cool stuff — welcome to the Circle Round Club! Also check out the preview of one of our bonus bedtime stories: a tale we call “The Lighthouse of the Pampas,” from the South American country of Uruguay.
Aug 31, 2023•6 min•Season 7Ep. 14
The Elephant in the Room
Recorded live at Tanglewood with members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and a star-studded cast, this Chinese courtroom drama explores truth, justice, and the elephant way.
Aug 29, 2023•20 min•Season 7Ep. 13
The Bitter Truth
Recorded live at Tanglewood with members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and a star-studded cast, this West African tale shows why dishonesty is definitely not the best policy!
Aug 22, 2023•26 min•Season 7Ep. 12
All Tied Up
Recorded live at Tanglewood with members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and a star-studded cast, this tale from Borneo features a tiny trickster who untangles a problem by tying it up in knots!
Aug 15, 2023•26 min•Season 7Ep. 11
A Biscuit, A Basket
Saara Chaudry (The Muppets Mayhem, Holly Hobby) stars in this tale from India and beyond about good deeds, bad intentions, and biscuits. Lots of biscuits.
Aug 08, 2023•26 min•Season 7Ep. 10
The Blizzard Wizard
Vivien Lyra Blair (Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Boogeyman) headlines this story from the indigenous peoples of Sibera about a supernatural spirit with a very cold shoulder.
Aug 01, 2023•21 min•Season 7Ep. 9
Encore: The Great Ball Game
In this Native American and First Nations tale, William Jackson Harper (The Good Place, Love Life) portrays a tiny creature who teaches the other animals and birds to appreciate what it means to be different.
Jul 25, 2023•20 min•Season 7Ep. 8