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, 2024•21 min•Season 7Ep. 49
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 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, 2024•23 min•Season 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, 2024•17 min•Season 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, 2024•23 min•Season 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, 2024•26 min•Season 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, 2024•21 min•Season 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, 2024•26 min•Season 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, 2024•28 min•Season 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, 2024•29 min•Season 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, 2024•24 min•Season 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, 2024•20 min•Season 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, 2024•18 min•Season 7Ep. 38
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
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
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