© 2026 Powered by New England News Collaborative
New England stories from the region's top public media newsrooms & NPR
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
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.

  • 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. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
  • 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. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
  • 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. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
  • 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. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
  • 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. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
  • 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. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
  • 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. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
  • 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. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
  • 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. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
  • 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. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
  • 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." Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
  • 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. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.