Circle Round - podcast cover

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

The Price Master

Recorded live at Tanglewood with members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and a star-studded cast, this Indian tale shows what happens when the price is right... and the price is wrong!

Sep 03, 202425 minSeason 8Ep. 10

The Farmer and the Cow

Recorded live at Tanglewood with members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and a star-studded cast, this Icelandic tale features a magical bovine who's able to moooooove mountains!

Aug 27, 202423 minSeason 8Ep. 9

Laughing and Crying

Recorded live at The Athenaeum Center in Chicago, IL, this tale with East Asian and Egyptian roots pits a proud king against a sharp-witted schoolteacher who proves she's nobody's fool.

Aug 20, 202426 minSeason 8Ep. 8

Giant Steps

Recorded live at The Athenaeum Center in Chicago, IL, this tale from the Iraqi Jewish tradition gives a whole new meaning to "putting your best foot forward."

Aug 09, 202427 minSeason 8Ep. 7

The Spotted Goat

Recorded live at Town Hall Seattle, this tale with Palestinian and Lebanese roots suggests that when somebody gets your goat, don't be shy about putting them on the spot!

Aug 06, 202430 minSeason 8Ep. 6

Granny Snowstorm

Recorded live at Town Hall Seattle, this Ukrainian tale follows a sister and brother as they meet the supernatural spirit who brings winter.

Jul 30, 202428 minSeason 8Ep. 5

The Doggies in the Window

Recorded live at The Aladdin Theater in Portland, OR, this Japanese tale about fragile statues and tough shopkeepers proves that every dog can have its day.

Jul 23, 202422 minSeason 8Ep. 4

The Sea and the Sky

Recorded live at The Aladdin Theater in Portland, OR, this high-flying tale explains how the islands of the Philippines came to be.

Jul 16, 202419 minSeason 8Ep. 3

The Buffalo’s Shadow

Recorded live at The Parkway Theater in Minneapolis, MN, this Cambodian folktale shows what happens when you find clever solutions to shady problems.

Jul 09, 202424 minSeason 8Ep. 2

Home Sweet Home

Recorded live at The Parkway Theater in Minneapolis, MN, this East African tale about unlikely roommates proves that sometimes the smallest can be the strongest of all.

Jul 02, 202424 minSeason 8Ep. 1

Encore: Misery Loves Company

Samin Nosrat (Salt Fat Acid Heat, Home Cooking), Hrishikesh Hirway (Home Cooking, Song Exploder) and Josh Malina (The West Wing, Chutzpod) star in this Ukrainian and Polish tale about what happens when misery loves company so much, it actually comes to life!

Jun 25, 202420 minSeason 7Ep. 57

Encore: The Friend Ship

Carra Patterson (Rustin, Elsbeth) stars in a tale from Japan about a woman with enough generosity to last a lifetime, and a man with enough greed to sink a ship.

Jun 18, 202422 minSeason 7Ep. 56

Encore: The Little Blue Pebble

In this magical story with worldwide roots, Broadway performers Bret Shuford and Stephen Hanna (Broadway Husbands) play farmers who receive a little magic that leads to big transformations!

Jun 11, 202429 minSeason 7Ep. 55

Encore: The Bright Yellow Hat

Jona Xiao (Raya and the Last Dragon, Hightown) plays a flower peddler who makes gardens and goodness grow in this story with Chinese, Tibetan, Japanese, Moroccan, French, Canadian and Peruvian roots.

Jun 04, 202426 minSeason 7Ep. 54

The Crystal Story Box

Bashir Salahuddin (Top Gun: Maverick, South Side) plays legendary trickster Anansi in this West African tale about how stories first came to the world.

May 28, 202425 minSeason 7Ep. 53

Encore: The Troupe of Ten

Malia Baker (The Baby-Sitters Club), Kelly Jenrette (All-American: Homecoming) and Kenny Leu (Midway) headline a story about a troupe of actors who bring down the house until they're nearly brought down themselves.

May 21, 202424 minSeason 7Ep. 52

The Long Crimson Thread

Jessika Van (Seoul Searching, Awkward) and Mark Pellegrino (American Rust, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley) co-star in a Welsh tale about a girl, a drought, and a mouse with a life-saving secret.

May 14, 202421 minSeason 7Ep. 51

The Snow Eater

Cree Summer (Good Times, Abbott Elementary) headlines a Blackfoot legend about fast friends, warm winds, and why bears hibernate during the winter.

May 07, 202422 minSeason 7Ep. 50

The Laughing Bird

Kenny Curtis (Greeking Out) stars in a legend from Aboriginal Australia about dark days, light humor, and a little bird with a big laugh.

Apr 30, 202421 minSeason 7Ep. 49

The Rightful Heir

Oliver Stark (9-1-1, Into the Badlands) plays a clever king who concocts the perfect plan for telling a good egg from a bad seed.

Apr 23, 202423 minSeason 7Ep. 48

Encore: The Friendship Orchard

NPR veterans Linda Wertheimer and Susan Stamberg co-star in a Kazakh folktale about lifelong friends whose bond is tested by an unexpected discovery.

Apr 16, 202417 minSeason 7Ep. 47

A Bee in the Bush

Erika Ishii (Worlds Beyond Number, Apex Legends) headlines this Vietnamese tale about getting a bee in your bonnet, buzzing off, and feeling the sting.

Apr 09, 202423 minSeason 7Ep. 46

The Cleverest Person in the Room

Vanessa Aspillaga (Dora Saves the Snow Princess, Leave the World Behind) stars in this Puerto Rican and Chilean tale about baby basil, cuddly kittens, and how two heads can be better than one.

Apr 02, 202426 minSeason 7Ep. 45

The Whole Cart

Julia Chan (Bojack Horseman, Extinct) and Hrishikesh Hirway (Song Exploder, The West Wing Weekly) co-star in a story from India about matching wits, mincing words, and getting the upper hand.

Mar 26, 202421 minSeason 7Ep. 44

The Young Healer

Jonigan Booth (The Underdoggs, This Is Us) headlines this Angolan tale about flowing with your heart, and the healing power of dreams.

Mar 19, 202426 minSeason 7Ep. 43

The Polka-Dotted Pigeon

Adam Goldberg (The Equalizer) stars in this Portuguese tale about ambitions, imposters, and making the feathers fly!

Mar 12, 202428 minSeason 7Ep. 42

The Uncommon Commoner

Recorded live at The Cowell Theater in San Francisco, this story with roots in Europe and Asia proves that wisdom can be found in unexpected places.

Mar 05, 202429 minSeason 7Ep. 41

Grime and Punishment

Recorded live at The Cowell Theater in San Francisco, this Chinese tale shows why a good neighbor is priceless, and why a bad neighbor pays the price.

Feb 27, 202424 minSeason 7Ep. 40

Encore: The Basilisk’s Stare

In this tale inspired by a Polish legend, Nabiyah Be (Black Panther, Daisy Jones & The Six) and Evan Whitten (The Resident, Ahsoka) face off against a fantastical creature whose gaze turns people to stone.

Feb 20, 202420 minSeason 7Ep. 39

The Weeping Witness

Brittany Ishibashi (Runaways, Hawaii Five-O) stars in a Japanese and Persian tale about facing the music and changing your tune.

Feb 13, 202418 minSeason 7Ep. 38