Circle Round

WBUR

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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456 episodes
Updated Tuesday

Episodes456

Newest first

March 31 · 20 min
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.
March 24 · 24 min
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.
March 17 · 20 min
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.
March 10 · 25 min
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.
March 3 · 24 min
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.
February 24 · 17 min
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.
February 18 · 25 min
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.
February 10 · 25 min
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.
February 3 · 24 min
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.
January 27 · 19 min
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.
January 20 · 23 min
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.
January 13 · 27 min
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.
January 6 · 22 min
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.
Dec 30, 2025 · 19 min
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.
Dec 23, 2025 · 19 min
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.
Dec 16, 2025 · 27 min
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.
Dec 9, 2025 · 24 min
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.
Dec 2, 2025 · 20 min
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.
Nov 25, 2025 · 20 min
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."
Nov 18, 2025 · 33 min
How the Turkey Got Its Gobble (A Podcast Turducken with Terrestrials and Wow in the World)
Fellow kidcasts Terrestrials and Wow in the World join us for a story-stuffed special about smart chickens, mysterious duck quacks, and how the turkey got its gobble.

Circle Round

A Tale of Two Neighbors

Copper and Dumplings

Encore: The Laughing Canoe

The Bolt of Silk

The Beech-Wood Box

Stealing Summer

Down the Garden Path

The Masked Bandit

The Noise Next Door

Goodnight Sun

Over the Sea

The Fourth Post

Encore: The Fairy Fort

Encore: The Patched-Up Coat

Encore: Finding the Light

Python’s Drum

Birbal's Barrels

The Underestimated Beetle

A Sticky Situation

How the Turkey Got Its Gobble (A Podcast Turducken with Terrestrials and Wow in the World)