Good podcast

Top 100 most popular podcasts

Circle Round

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.

Subscribe

iTunes / Overcast / RSS

Website

wbur.org/podcasts/circleround

Episodes

The All-Wish Stick

Amy Tsang (Star Wars: The Acolyte, Kung Fu) stars in a Chinese tale about a magical gift that makes wishes come true, provided you make them with an honest heart.

2024-10-29
Link to episode

The Face-Off

Actor Kelly Jenrette (All American: Homecoming, The Handmaid?s Tale) and producer/actor Lamar Richardson (Appropriate, Merrily We Roll Along) co-star in a Shona legend that proves how big strength can come in little sizes.

2024-10-22
Link to episode

Top Banana

Tatyana Ali (Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Abbot Elementary) and Jack De Sena (Lego Monkie Kid, Avatar: The Last Airbender) headline this Filipino story about getting the upper hand by taking the lower half.

2024-10-15
Link to episode

Pride and Proverbs

Real-life couple David Giuntoli (Grimm, Batman: Soul of the Dragon) and Elizabeth Tulloch (Grimm, Superman and Lois) face off as a wise farmer and proud queen in this tale with Georgian, Kazakh and Ghanaian roots.

2024-10-08
Link to episode

The Hiding Place

Broadway's Aaron Bartz, Erik Christopher Peterson and Cara Ricketts (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) headline a Jewish and Egyptian story about a high-stakes game of hide and seek.

2024-10-01
Link to episode

Encore: The Princess and the Bee

Duchess Sarah Ferguson of York (Storytime with Fergie) and Suzie McGrath (Star Wars Resistance, The Punies) star in this charming tale about the importance of having a sound, sensible head, and a warm, fuzzy heart.

2024-09-24
Link to episode

Encore: Chameleon?s Contest

Jonica Booth (Rap Stuff, Bad Girls Club) and Jay Pharoah (Out of Office, Saturday Night Live) co-star in this West African tale about a clothing-obsessed goddess and a crafty, colorful chameleon.

2024-09-17
Link to episode

A Horse for Hire

Recorded live at Tanglewood with members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and a star-studded cast, this Haitian and Creole tale is all about hefty horses and broken deals.

2024-09-10
Link to episode

The Price Master

Recorded live at Tanglewood with members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and a star-studded cast, this Indian tale shows what happens when the price is right... and the price is wrong!

2024-09-03
Link to episode

The Farmer and the Cow

Recorded live at Tanglewood with members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and a star-studded cast, this Icelandic tale features a magical bovine who's able to moooooove mountains!

2024-08-27
Link to episode

Laughing and Crying

Recorded live at The Athenaeum Center in Chicago, IL, this tale with East Asian and Egyptian roots pits a proud king against a sharp-witted schoolteacher who proves she's nobody's fool.

2024-08-20
Link to episode

Giant Steps

Recorded live at The Athenaeum Center in Chicago, IL, this tale from the Iraqi Jewish tradition gives a whole new meaning to "putting your best foot forward."

2024-08-09
Link to episode

The Spotted Goat

Recorded live at Town Hall Seattle, this tale with Palestinian and Lebanese roots suggests that when somebody gets your goat, don't be shy about putting them on the spot!

2024-08-06
Link to episode

Granny Snowstorm

Recorded live at Town Hall Seattle, this Ukrainian tale follows a sister and brother as they meet the supernatural spirit who brings winter.

2024-07-30
Link to episode

The Doggies in the Window

Recorded live at The Aladdin Theater in Portland, OR, this Japanese tale about fragile statues and tough shopkeepers proves that every dog can have its day.

2024-07-23
Link to episode

The Sea and the Sky

Recorded live at The Aladdin Theater in Portland, OR, this high-flying tale explains how the islands of the Philippines came to be.

2024-07-16
Link to episode

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.

2024-07-09
Link to episode

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.

2024-07-02
Link to episode

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!

2024-06-25
Link to episode

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.

2024-06-18
Link to episode

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!

2024-06-11
Link to episode

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.

2024-06-04
Link to episode

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.

2024-05-28
Link to episode

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.

2024-05-21
Link to episode

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.

2024-05-14
Link to episode

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.

2024-05-07
Link to episode

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.

2024-04-30
Link to episode

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.

2024-04-23
Link to episode

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.

2024-04-16
Link to episode

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.

2024-04-09
Link to episode

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.

2024-04-02
Link to episode

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.

2024-03-26
Link to episode

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.

2024-03-19
Link to episode

The Polka-Dotted Pigeon

Adam Goldberg (The Equalizer) stars in this Portuguese tale about ambitions, imposters, and making the feathers fly!

2024-03-12
Link to episode

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.

2024-03-05
Link to episode

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.

2024-02-27
Link to episode

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.

2024-02-20
Link to episode

The Weeping Witness

Brittany Ishibashi (Runaways, Hawaii Five-O) stars in a Japanese and Persian tale about facing the music and changing your tune.

2024-02-13
Link to episode

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.

2024-02-06
Link to episode

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.

2024-01-30
Link to episode

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.

2024-01-23
Link to episode

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.

2024-01-16
Link to episode

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.

2024-01-09
Link to episode

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?

2024-01-02
Link to episode

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.

2023-12-26
Link to episode

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.

2023-12-19
Link to episode

Encore: Coyote's Flame

Brittany O'Grady (Little Voice, The White Lotus) stars in a Native American tale about a cunning creature who uses teamwork to bring light, sun and fire to the dark, cold world.

2023-12-12
Link to episode

The Secret of Success

Helen Hong (Family Switch, The Thundermans) stars in a tale with English, Welsh, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Indian roots about how imagination and effort affect supply and demand.

2023-12-05
Link to episode

The Valley Visitor

NPR?s Ailsa Chang (All Things Considered) headlines a Chinese tale about a mysterious guest, a raging storm, and the true fruits of kindness.

2023-11-28
Link to episode

Encore: The Red Leather Shoes

Aasif Mandvi (The Daily Show, Evil) and Madhur Jaffrey (Madhur Jaffrey's Curry Nation, I Feel Bad) co-star in this Indian story about a wise king, a generous shoemaker, and a priceless pair of shoes.

2023-11-21
Link to episode
A tiny webapp by I'm With Friends.
Updated daily with data from the Apple Podcasts.