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.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Sep 2, 2025 • 28min
The First Councilor
Danielle Panabaker (The Flash) and James Wolk (Mad Men, Happy Face) headline a Swedish tale about an uncertain king, a magic fairy, and a monumental decision.
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Aug 26, 2025 • 24min
Princess Persistence
Aparna Brielle (FUBAR, A.P. Bio) stars as a legendary Indian princess whose love, devotion and courage face the ultimate test.
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Aug 19, 2025 • 22min
True Colors
Heather Burns (Bored to Death, Manchester by the Sea) and Ajay Naidu (Office Space, Blindspot) headline a Bantu, Zulu and Tumbuka tale about why the hyena's coat is spotted and scraggly.
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Aug 12, 2025 • 29min
Milk from a Bull
Recorded live at Tanglewood with Boston Symphony Orchestra musicians and a star-studded cast, this tale with roots in India, Mongolia, Siberia and the Philippines is all about thinking outside the box... and inside the jar.
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104 snips
Aug 5, 2025 • 28min
The Seamstress and the Deev
Recorded live at Tanglewood with Boston Symphony Orchestra musicians and a star-studded cast, this Afghan tale follows a savvy seamstress and her chatty kitty on a royally epic adventure.
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Jul 29, 2025 • 25min
Encore: The Unselfish Shellfish
Eric Bauza (Bugs Bunny Builders, Woody Woodpecker) and Harry Shum Jr. (Everything Everywhere All At Once, Crazy Rich Asians) star in an Indonesian story about a bad egg who winds up in a real pickle when he tries having his cake and eating it too.
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13 snips
Jul 22, 2025 • 21min
Encore: The Missing Mountainside
Karen Huie (Welcome to Flatch, Abominable and the Invisible City), stars in a Taiwanese tale about the bad taste it can leave when you bite off more than you can chew!
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Jul 16, 2025 • 26min
Encore: The Mountain Guardian
Audrey Hsieh (Here Today, Mixtape) and Alonzo Bodden (Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me!, Who's Paying Attention) headline this Tibetan tale about two family members who are rewarded appropriately by a stone lion, one for her generosity and one for his greed.
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Jul 8, 2025 • 25min
Encore: Of Beans and Bunnies
Efren Ramirez (Napoleon Dynamite, Lightyear) portrays a beloved trickster who lives by his wits, and uses them to outwit others, in this folktale from the Spanish-speaking world.
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Jul 1, 2025 • 19min
Encore: Mangoes in the Middle
Utkarsh Ambudkar (Ghosts, We Are Freestyle Love Supreme) stars in an Indian tale about an ingenious royal advisor who cunningly proves the true owner of a fruitful treasure.
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