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

Jun 24, 2025 · 23 min
Encore: Hungry Hippo
Scott Lawrence (Star Wars Resistance, Vader Immortal) stars in this African legend about how the hippopotamus came to be the decidedly distinctive creature it is today.
Jun 17, 2025 · 27 min
Encore: Strong Mind and Kind Heart
Christopher Sean (Star Wars Resistance, Gotham Knights) stars in this Vietnamese tale about two friends, one dream, and the infinite value of a true heart.
Jun 10, 2025 · 19 min
Encore: Counting Crocodiles
In this playful tale from Indonesia, Japan and Malaysia, Tiya Sircar (Star Wars Rebels, The Good Place) plays a cunning mouse deer who teaches a cantankerous crocodile a lesson.
Jun 3, 2025 · 21 min
Encore: The Rooster in the Sky
In this adventure story with roots in Russia, Hungary and the Middle East, a magical rooster rewards Rachel Matthews (Frozen 2) for her fearless persistence and precious friendship.
May 27, 2025 · 25 min
Out of Time
Brittany Ishibashi (Marvel’s Runaways, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) stars in a Japanese tale about the power of stories, and the value of reading -- and listening -- between the lines.
May 20, 2025 · 23 min
The Fruits of Labor
Jeffrey Donovan (Burn Notice, Fargo) stars in an ancient Jewish tale about how working to benefit the future can bring sweet rewards in the present.
May 13, 2025 · 17 min
The Big Green Bag
Tim Bagley (Somebody Somewhere, Hacks) and Rebecca Mader (Lost, Once Upon a Time) co-star in a Rumanian and British tale about the high-flying differences between wants and needs.
May 6, 2025 · 29 min
Call of the Cuckoo
Stephen Hanna and Bret Shuford (Broadway Husbands, Husbands 2 Dads) headline a European and Asian tale about outlawing anger, forbidding frustration, and making the feathers fly!
Apr 29, 2025 · 23 min
Encore: Friends in High Places
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!
Apr 22, 2025 · 20 min
At First Light
Natalie Dormer (Audrey's Children, Game of Thrones) headlines a legend from Aboriginal Australia about a bright, bold bird and the illuminating power of teamwork.
Apr 15, 2025 · 20 min
The Donkey’s Tail
Rapper/poet Omar Offendum (Little Syria) stars in a Persian and North African tale about righting wrongs and sniffing out a thief.
Apr 8, 2025 · 18 min
One Good Turn
Alan Goffinski, Ana González and Lulu Miller (Terrestrials) star in a very international story about returning favors and being stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Apr 1, 2025 · 16 min
In the Willow Tree
Stephanie Koenig (Lessons in Chemistry, The English Teacher) and Patrick Luwis (Cobra Kai) star in a Taiwanese tale about a tiny ant, a boastful pigeon, and unexpected favors.
Mar 25, 2025 · 23 min
Miss Tilda
Arienne Mandi (The L Word: Generation Q, The Night Agent) and Patrick Renna (You Gotta Believe, The Sandlot) go head-to-head in a battle of wits in this tale with roots across Europe, Asia, the Caribbean and the American Southwest.
Mar 18, 2025 · 20 min
Crocus-Pocus
Jacob Laval (The Unbreakable Boy, John Mulaney and the Sack Lunch Bunch) and Amanda Warren (The Night Agent, East New York) headline a Sicilian tale about sowing the seeds of kindness, compassion and crocuses.
Mar 11, 2025 · 17 min
The Flame Keeper
Joy Ofodu (Dating Unsettled, Heart of Sunshine) and Camron Jones (Panic, Shameless) co-star in a Huichol story from Mexico about stolen fire and bald tails.
Mar 4, 2025 · 20 min
Maushop and the Shark
Román Zaragoza (Ghosts) stars in a Wampanoag tale about a gentle giant, a hungry shark, and the power of fun and games.
Feb 25, 2025 · 20 min
Diamonds in the Sky
Kyriana Kratter (Star Wars: Skeleton Crew) and Mila Harris (Mary, World-Breaker) headline an out-of-this-world Filipino tale about how the sun and moon came to be.
Feb 18, 2025 · 23 min
The Salmon Famine
Recorded live at Symphony Hall with Boston Symphony Orchestra musicians and a star-studded cast, this indigenous Pacific Northwest tale follows a wily coyote on a daring rescue.
Feb 11, 2025 · 23 min
The Well of Honor
Recorded live at Symphony Hall with Boston Symphony Orchestra musicians and a star-studded cast, this Egyptian, Iraqi, Palestinian, Sudanese and Tunisian tale shows the importance of never biting off more than you can chew.

Circle Round

Encore: Hungry Hippo

Encore: Strong Mind and Kind Heart

Encore: Counting Crocodiles

Encore: The Rooster in the Sky

Out of Time

The Fruits of Labor

The Big Green Bag

Call of the Cuckoo

Encore: Friends in High Places

At First Light

The Donkey’s Tail

One Good Turn

In the Willow Tree

Miss Tilda

Crocus-Pocus

The Flame Keeper

Maushop and the Shark

Diamonds in the Sky

The Salmon Famine

The Well of Honor