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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.

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wbur.org/podcasts/circleround

Episodes

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.

2025-04-01
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Miss Tilda | Ep. 282

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.

1969-12-31
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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.

2025-03-18
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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.

2025-03-11
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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.

2025-03-04
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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.

2025-02-25
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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.

2025-02-18
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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.

2025-02-11
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Encore: The Lumps of Clay

Maulik Pancholy (Phineas and Ferb, Sanjay and Craig) stars in a classic Indian story about a witty royal adviser who finds an ingenious way to bring the truth to light.

2025-02-04
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The Zodiac Twelve

Tzi Ma (Five Blind Dates, Interior Chinatown) and Jimmy Wong (Mulan, Wish Dragon) co-star in an action-packed legend about the origin of the Chinese zodiac animals.

2025-01-28
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Hot Potatoes

Arlen Escarpeta (Found, The Oath) headlines a tale from southern Africa about stolen spuds and hare-brained schemes.

2025-01-21
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The Cobbler?s Soul

John Patrick Amedori (Three Women, Dear White People) headlines an internationally-inspired story about fixing soles and saving souls.

2025-01-14
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Encore: Ariana?s Music

Mireille Enos (Hanna, The Killing) headlines this new spin on an ancient Greek legend about an instrument that captivates everyone who hears it ? whether they have skin, scales, hair, hides, feathers or fur!

2025-01-07
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Encore: Three Clever Brothers

Alexandra Billings (Transparent, Paddleton) stars in a North African, Middle Eastern and central and north-central Asian folktale about the power of a keen eye and a quick mind.

2024-12-31
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Encore: Getting Skunked

Terrence Terrell (B Positive, Giants) stars in this Abenaki tale about a gentle giant who brings night and day to the world, and gives a certain striped critter its telltale scent.

2024-12-24
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The Peach of Life

Recorded live at Symphony Space, a star-studded cast brings to life this Chinese and Vietnamese legend about the healing power of a kind and honest heart.

2024-12-17
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The Wild Goose Chase

Recorded live at Symphony Space with a star-studded cast, this magical tale inspired by Ukrainian and Russian lore follows a kindly tailor as he embarks on an unforgettable chase.

2024-12-10
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Encore: The Most Fabulous Fur of All

Q'orianka Kilcher (Yellowstone, Dora and the Lost City of Gold) stars in a Cherokee tale about a clever rabbit who craftily tries pulling the wool ? and fur ? over everyone?s eyes.

2024-12-03
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Dancing to a Different Tune

World-renowned violinist Hilary Hahn plays a musician with a miraculous gift in this whimsical folktale from South America, North Africa, Europe and the US.

2024-11-26
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The Caged Bird

Tim Matheson (The West Wing, Virgin River) and Jonathan Tucker (Kingdom, Westworld) co-star in a Jewish and Persian tale about a parrot, a prince, and the priceless value of freedom.

2024-11-19
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A World of Music

Jon Huertas (This Is Us, Tracker) headlines an Aztec legend about how music first came to the world.

2024-11-12
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In the Wolf?s Mouth

Jennifer Hale (Stars Wars: The Clone Wars, X-Men ?97) stars in a Portuguese tale about a big bad wolf and a sharp shrewd owl.

2024-11-05
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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