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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Feb 13, 202418 minSeason 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. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

Feb 06, 202421 minSeason 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. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

Jan 30, 202423 minSeason 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. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

Jan 23, 202426 minSeason 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. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

Jan 16, 202424 minSeason 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. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

Jan 09, 202427 minSeason 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? Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

Jan 02, 202420 minSeason 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. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

Dec 26, 202327 minSeason 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. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

Dec 19, 202326 minSeason 7Ep. 30
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