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.
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Episodes

The Basilisk’s Stare feat. Nabiyah Be & Evan Whitten

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

Nov 17, 202018 minSeason 4Ep. 20

The Fantastic Fiddle feat. Adam Irigoyen

This Hispanic tale from the Southwest U.S. stars Adam Irigoyen (Away, Shake It Up) as a fiddler whose magical instrument brings the world to its feet, and the guilty to their knees.

Nov 10, 202023 minSeason 4Ep. 19

Coyote’s Flame feat. Brittany O’Grady

In this Native American tale, Brittany O'Grady (Little Voice, Star) plays a cunning creature who uses teamwork to bring light, sun and fire to the dark, cold world.

Oct 20, 202018 minSeason 4Ep. 16

Encore: Grandfather Stone feat. Diane Rehm and Jonathan Joss

In honor of Indigenous Peoples' Day, we're revisiting this Seneca tale from Season 2 about the origin of stories -- co-starring NPR veteran Diane Rehm and Jonathan Joss (Parks and Recreation, Comanche Moon).

Oct 13, 202020 minSeason 4Ep. 15

The Olive Jar feat. Maggie Siff, Santino Fontana & Denim Richards

Maggie Siff (Billions, Mad Men), Santino Fontana (Tootsie, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend), and Denim Richards (Yellowstone, The Chickasaw Rancher) co-star in this Northern African/Middle Eastern/Jewish tale about spoiled olives and fresh starts.

Sep 29, 202024 minSeason 4Ep. 13

Long Hair and the Waterfall feat. Rosalind Chao

Rosalind Chao (Mulan, The Joy Luck Club) headlines this Chinese tale about a tall mountain, a big radish, and the magic of giving back to your community.

Sep 22, 202022 minSeason 4Ep. 12

Little Cu feat. Desmin Borges

Desmin Borges (You're The Worst, Utopia) plays a tiny bird with an ever-growing ego in this playful story with roots in Mexico and Puerto Rico.

Sep 15, 202023 minSeason 4Ep. 11

Dirt Into Gold feat. Tzi Ma & Jimmy Wong

Tzi Ma (The Farewell, Mulan) and Jimmy Wong (Wish Dragon, Mulan) co-star in this Burmese tale about turning soil and dirt into an invaluable treasure.

Sep 08, 202019 minSeason 4Ep. 10

Circle Round: Fan Edition!

At the end of season 3, we asked fans to send us their own Circle Round story. This week, you’ll hear some of the submissions we received!

Sep 01, 202031 minSeason 4Ep. 9

Encore: 'The Forbidden Knot'

This favorite story from season one, starring Mel Rodriguez (The Last Man on Earth, Electric Dreams), is about the importance of being honest and keeping your word... especially when you’re a leader in charge of something big.

Aug 25, 202022 minSeason 4Ep. 8

The Charming Flute feat. Amy Hargreaves

In part four of our summer series with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Amy Hargreaves (13 Reasons Why, Homeland) plays a mystical flute player who teaches a greedy landowner to sing a different tune.

Aug 18, 202024 minSeason 4Ep. 7

Encore: 'A Taste Of Honey'

Hannah Simone ("New Girl") stars alongside her real-life father Naren Simone in a South Asian tale about the power of self-reliance. Download a coloring page for this episode here: wbur.org/circleround/coloring-pages

Aug 11, 202020 minSeason 4Ep. 6

Naming the Tree feat. Chloe Coleman

In part three of our summer series with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Chloe Coleman (Timmy Failure, My Spy) stars in an African tale about how bigger isn't always better, and how slow and steady can be best of all!

Aug 04, 202022 minSeason 4Ep. 5

Encore: 'Latchkey Stew'

Jurnee Smollett-Bell stars in this classic tale about a young girl who teaches a group of neighbors what it means to really share.

Jul 28, 202021 minSeason 4Ep. 4

The Farmer’s Coin feat. Jin Ha and Greta Jung

In part two of our summer series with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Jin Ha (Devs, Love Life) and Greta Jung (Modern Family, Station 19) headline a Korean folktale about a hardworking farmer whose generosity brings a surprising reward.

Jul 21, 202027 minSeason 4Ep. 3

Encore: The Enchanted Paintbrush feat. Phillipa Soo

Phillipa Soo (Hamilton) and Stacy Keach (Man With a Plan) headline this favorite episode from season 3: a tale from China about a kind, humble artist whose paintings come to life.

Jul 14, 202024 minSeason 4Ep. 2

Every Other Friday feat. Melora Hardin and Gildart Jackson

Part one of our special summer series with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Melora Hardin and Gildart Jackson co-star in this tale about a crafty countess who teaches a broke baker never to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Jul 07, 202026 minSeason 4Ep. 1

Encore: 'Kangaroo And Joey Too'

Recorded live with musicians from the Boston Symphony Orchestra as part of our 2019 summer pop-up series, this Aboriginal story from Australia imagines how the kangaroo got her indispensable pouch.

Jun 30, 202023 minSeason 3Ep. 54

Shortie: The Leaky Bucket

Is the bucket half empty or half full? This week's bonus episode comes from a Chinese folktale about the unexpected upside of imperfection.

Jun 23, 202013 minSeason 3Ep. 53

Encore: 'The Great Ball Game'

In this Native American story, William Jackson Harper (The Good Place) portrays a tiny creature who teaches the other animals and birds to appreciate what it means to be different.

Jun 16, 202019 minSeason 3Ep. 52

Shortie: The Dinner Date

In this bite-sized bonus episode from West Africa, a tricky spider bites off more than he can chew when he tries outwitting a wise dinner guest.

Jun 09, 202014 minSeason 3Ep. 51

Encore: The Most Powerful Of All

Iain Armitage (Young Sheldon, Big Little Lies) learns a surprising lesson about size, strength and power in this twist on a folktale from East Asia, India, Spain, Latin America and the southwestern U.S.

Jun 02, 202020 minSeason 3Ep. 49

The Noblest Tale feat. Lisa Loeb

Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Lisa Loeb (A Simple Trick to Happiness, Feel What U Feel) discovers the true meaning of goodness, virtue and honor in this folktale originally from Mexico.

May 26, 202025 minSeason 3Ep. 48

Leopard’s Rhythm feat. Tonya Mosley

Public radio and podcast veteran Tonya Mosley (Here and Now, Truth Be Told) plays a clever turtle determined to outwit the local bully in this whimsical tale inspired by stories told in Ghana.

May 19, 202023 minSeason 3Ep. 47

Sweet and Sour feat. Avi Nash & Marshall Escamilla

In this story from the Zulu people of South Africa, Marshall Escamilla (Tumble: A Science Podcast for Kids) and Avi Nash (The Walking Dead, Hosea) star as brothers who are as different as sweet and sour.

May 12, 202024 minSeason 3Ep. 46

Chief Know-It-All feat. Chris Sullivan

Actor and musician Chris Sullivan (This Is Us, Joseph The Spouse) plays the boastful, blowhard title character in this Hawaiian tale about an egotistical chief who gets cut down to size.

May 05, 202027 minSeason 3Ep. 45

The Sultan’s Figs feat. Shazad Latif and Anthony Rapp

Shazad Latif (Star Trek: Discovery, Penny Dreadful) and Anthony Rapp (Star Trek: Discovery, Rent) headline this Middle Eastern/North African tale about sweet figs, bad breath, and the bitter truth. When you need advice, what kind of advisor do you turn to? Someone who’s honest? Trustworthy? Supportive? In today’s story, we’ll meet an advisor who’s none of these things. And the person he’s advising -- a wealthy, powerful sultan -- has no idea! Our story is called “The Sultan’s Figs.” Versions of ...

Apr 28, 202025 minSeason 3Ep. 44
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