Circle Round
WBUR
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.
Recent Episodes
20 episodesSwift Fox and the Coyote Twins
This Is Us co-stars (and That Was Us co-hosts) Sterling K. Brown, Mandy Moore and Chris Sullivan co-star in a multi-cultural legend about two conceited coyotes and the fox who outfoxes them. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
A Tale of Two Neighbors
Recorded live in Cleveland, OH, this Appalachian tale proves that true friends stick together through thick, thin, and everything in between. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
Copper and Dumplings
Recorded live in Cleveland, OH, this Japanese story pits a wise baker against two tricky goblins who refuse to face their fears. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
Encore: The Laughing Canoe
George Salazar (Be More Chill, Superstore) plays a wise-cracking waterborne vessel in this Brazilian story about the extraordinary things teamwork can bring. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
The Bolt of Silk
Samantha Béart (Baldur's Gate 3, Star Wars: The Old Republic) plays a sorceress with a knack for brewing up trouble in this tale with Sudanese, Egyptian and Palestinian roots. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
The Beech-Wood Box
Krassimira Belev (The Therapy) and acclaimed violinist Christian Hebel star in a Romani tale about how the very first violin came to be. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
Stealing Summer
Bestselling children's author Meena Harris (Maya's Big Question, Kamala and Maya's Big Idea) plays an ambitious coyote in this Shoshone, Shasta and Hupa legend about how summer and winter came to be. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
Down the Garden Path
Recorded live at Symphony Hall with Boston Symphony Orchestra players and a star-studded cast, this Buddhist story from Tibet and India proves we can all be helpers, no matter our size. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
The Masked Bandit
Recorded live at Symphony Hall with Boston Symphony Orchestra players and a star-studded cast, this Sioux legend follows a rascally raccoon on a gutsy -- and gummy -- quest. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
The Noise Next Door
Recorded live in Glendale, CA, this Haitian tale about two blacksmiths whose banging, clanging, clinking and clanking cause a presidential uproar. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
Goodnight Sun
Recorded live in Glendale, CA, this story with roots in India and Vietnam follows a trio of birds on an illuminating adventure to bring back to the sun. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
Over the Sea
Tatyana Ali (Abbott Elementary, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air) stars as a savvy starfish who outwits a wily whale in this tale from Aboriginal Australia. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
The Fourth Post
Jeff Meacham (Black-ish, Vampirina) plays a hapless hero whose life turns upside-down in this humorous tale from Great Britain, Italy, Russia and the Philippines. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
Encore: The Fairy Fort
Taylor Richardson (The Gilded Age) and Alison Wright (The Americans, Snowpiercer) co-star in this Irish tale about mischievous fairies and the power of music. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
Encore: The Patched-Up Coat
NPR's Peter Sagal (Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me!) stars in this Russian story about how fantastically priceless a little generosity can be. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
Encore: Finding the Light
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.
Python’s Drum
Gabe Kunda (Marvel Rivals, Apex Legends) and Natasha Rothwell (The White Lotus, Insecure) co-star in a Ugandan legend about friendship, rivalry, and making music. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
Birbal's Barrels
Ravi V. Patel (Animal Control, LEGO Masters Jr.) headlines this Indian tale about distinguishing need from greed with help from grain, gold, and a barrel of lies. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
The Underestimated Beetle
Recorded live in Charlotte, NC, this Brazilian tale pits a round-rumped, fleet-footed critter against a teeny-tiny insect in a surprisingly high-flying race. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
A Sticky Situation
Recorded live in Charlotte, NC, this Japanese legend about a rhyming pine tree puts a (literally) sappy new spin on "poetic justice." Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.