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 Sorcerer’s Offer feat. Alondra Delgado, Amber Nash, & Bill Ratner

Inspired by a tale from Armenia, this story starring Amber Nash (Archer, How To Ruin The Holidays), Bill Ratner (Family Guy, G.I. Joe), and Alondra Delgado (All American, Is Mejor to Say ADIÓS) shows how small risks -- and acts of kindness -- can pay off in big ways. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

Oct 25, 202226 minSeason 6Ep. 17

The Banana Split feat. Jim Conroy & Amirah Vann

Amirah Vann (A Jazzman’s Blues, Underground) and Jim Conroy (Jellystone, FETCH! with Ruff Ruffman) star in this Panamanian tale about a slow, steadfast tortoise who teaches a swift, stingy monkey about sharing. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

Oct 18, 202219 minSeason 6Ep. 16

Encore: The Fantastic Fiddle

In this favorite tale from the archives, Adam Irigoyen (Away, Shake It Up) plays a fiddler whose magical instrument brings the world to its feet, and the guilty to their knees. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

Oct 11, 202225 minSeason 6Ep. 15

Finding the Light feat. Kennedy Kanagawa

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 .

Oct 04, 202219 minSeason 6Ep. 14

Chameleon’s Contest feat. Jonica Booth & Jay Pharoah

Jonica Booth (Rap Stuff) and Jay Pharoah (Out of Office, Saturday Night Live) co-star in this West African tale about a clothing-obsessed goddess and a crafty, colorful chameleon. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

Sep 27, 202221 minSeason 6Ep. 13

The Little Blue Pebble feat. Bret Shuford & Stephen Hanna

In this magical story with roots all over the world, Broadway performers Bret Shuford and Stephen Hanna (Broadway Husbands) play farmers who receive a little magic that leads to big transformations! Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

Sep 20, 202228 minSeason 6Ep. 12

One Wish (feat. Boston Symphony Orchestra)

Recorded live at Tanglewood with members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and an all-star cast, this tale with Indian, Irish, and Jewish roots proves that wishes can come true —sometimes all at once! Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

Sep 13, 202226 minSeason 6Ep. 11

Fair-Feathered Friends (feat. Boston Symphony Orchestra)

Recorded live at Tanglewood with members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and an all-star cast, this Burmese folktale imagines why the thrush's colors are in its voice, not its feathers. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

Sep 06, 202222 minSeason 6Ep. 10

Fighting Like Cats and Dogs (feat. Boston Symphony Orchestra)

Recorded live at Tanglewood with members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and an all-star cast, this Korean tale offers an enchanting explanation about why cats and dogs don’t get along. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

Aug 30, 202229 minSeason 6Ep. 9

Encore: Long Hair and the Waterfall (feat. Rosalind Chao)

Recorded live at Tanglewood with members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and an all-star cast, this Korean tale offers an enchanting explanation to why cats and dogs don’t get along. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

Aug 23, 202224 minSeason 6Ep. 8

The Golden Advice feat. Kate Siegel

Kate Siegel (Midnight Mass, The Time Traveler’s Wife) plays a struggling farmer who learns the true value of wisdom in this tale with origins in Greece, India, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Scotland, Wales, and the Jewish tradition. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

Aug 16, 202228 minSeason 6Ep. 7

The Tale of Koala's Tail feat. Kaniehtiio Horn

Kaniehtiio Horn (Letterkenny, Reservation Dogs) stars in an Aboriginal Australian tale about a koala whose overbearing pride makes her lose her pride and joy! Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

Aug 09, 202227 minSeason 6Ep. 6

The Princess and the Bee feat. Duchess Sarah Ferguson & Suzie McGrath

Duchess Sarah Ferguson of York (Storytime with Fergie) and Suzie McGrath (Star Wars Resistance, The Punies) star in this charming tale about the importance of having a sound, sensible head, and a warm, fuzzy heart. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

Aug 02, 202223 minSeason 6Ep. 5

Encore: Curious Boots feat. Colin Hanks

Colin Hanks (Life in Pieces, Jumanji) stars as a precocious little brother whose curiosity earns him a royally big reward in this Norwegian adventure story from the Circle Round archives. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

Jul 26, 202225 minSeason 6Ep. 4

A Trio of Tricks feat. Della Saba

Della Saba (Zootopia, Physical) headlines an Indonesian and Malaysian tale about a teeny-tiny trickster who outsmarts the other animals with her big wit. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

Jul 19, 202224 minSeason 6Ep. 3

Pulling Strings feat. Bashir Salahuddin

Bashir Salahuddin (Top Gun: Maverick, South Side) stars in a Ghanaian tale about legendary eight-legged trickster Anansi, and why all spiders have narrow waists. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

Jul 12, 202220 minSeason 6Ep. 2

A Song for the Spirits feat. Krys Marshall

Krys Marshall (For All Mankind) stars in a West African story about an honest fisherwoman, a haunted forest, and a flute with value beyond compare. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

Jul 05, 202226 minSeason 6Ep. 1

Encore: Rabbit’s Wish (feat. Ryan Michelle Bathé)

In this season-3 story with roots in West Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America, Ryan Michelle Bathé (This Is Us, First Wives Club) plays a clever Rabbit who discovers that power and strength aren't just about physical size. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

Jun 28, 202221 minSeason 5Ep. 50

Encore: The Gloomy Pine Tree (feat. Mykal-Michelle Harris)

Mykal-Michelle Harris (Mixed-ish) stars as a discontented sapling in this classic "grass is always greener" tale from our third season. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

Jun 21, 202221 minSeason 5Ep. 49

Encore: Little Frog’s Big Voice (feat. Alex Brightman & Dyllón Burnside)

Dyllón Burnside (POSE, Prideland) and Tony nominee Alex Brightman (Beetlejuice, School of Rock - The Musical) co-star in this Australian story from the archives about small critters, giant egos, and why frogs croak. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

Jun 14, 202220 minSeason 5Ep. 48

Encore: The Wind Catcher

Tony Award winner Lea Salonga (Miss Saigon, Les Misérables) headlines this Marshallese tale from our fourth season about how the first sailboat came to be. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

Jun 07, 202223 minSeason 5Ep. 47

The Neverending Stories feat. Anjali Bhimani & Adriyan Rae

Anjali Bhimani (Special, Ms. Marvel) and Adriyan Rae (Chicago Fire, The Game) co-star in this Korean, Cambodian, and Kazakh tale about the importance of spreading stories far and wide. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

May 31, 202223 minSeason 5Ep. 46

Katya the Quick feat. Etai Benson & Susannah Flood

Susannah Flood (Life and Beth, Birthday Candles) and Etai Benson (The Band's Visit, Company) star in this Jewish folktale about a clever, quick-witted woman who uses her brilliant brainpower to save her family. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

May 24, 202226 minSeason 5Ep. 45

Misery Loves Company feat. Hrishikesh Hirway, Joshua Malina & Samin Nosrat

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. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

May 17, 202219 minSeason 5Ep. 44

After Midnight feat. Fiona Glascott & David Morse

David Morse (John Adams, How I Learned To Drive) and Fiona Glascott (Fantastic Beasts, Julia) star in this Irish tale about a magical creature who helps a young woman avoid hard work, until the tables are turned. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

May 10, 202222 minSeason 5Ep. 43

The Early Bird feat. Megan Boone & Jazmyn Simon

Jazmyn Simon (Ballers, Most Perfect You) and Megan Boone (The Blacklist, The Underground Railroad) play competing birds in this Native American story about the surprising ways that slow and steady can win the race. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

May 03, 202219 minSeason 5Ep. 42

Encore: The Golden Flask

Allison Strong (The Week Of) headlines this Incan tale from our second season about a brave, magical journey to heal a prince and save a family. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

Apr 26, 202225 minSeason 5Ep. 41

Friends in High Places feat. Mario Cantone & Denise Crosby

Mario Cantone (And Just Like That, Surf's Up) and Denise Crosby (Star Trek: The Next Generation) star in this folktale about how the giraffe got its long neck, and how the rhino got an unexpected ally! Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

Apr 19, 202223 minSeason 5Ep. 40

Of Beans and Bunnies feat. Efren Ramirez

Efren Ramirez (Napoleon Dynamite, Lightyear) portrays a beloved trickster who lives by his wits—and uses them to outwit others—in this folktale from the Spanish-speaking world. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

Apr 12, 202225 minSeason 5Ep. 39

The Troupe of Ten feat. Malia Baker, Kelly Jenrette & Kenny Leu

Malia Baker (The Baby-Sitters Club, Are You Afraid of the Dark), Kelly Jenrette (The Handmaid's Tale, All-American: Homecoming) and Kenny Leu (A Shot Through the Wall, Midway) headline a story about a troupe of actors who always bring down the house, until they're nearly brought down themselves. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

Apr 05, 202223 minSeason 5Ep. 38
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