Parents. Kids. Fans of Great Storytelling: We're Back!

September 10, 2019

WBUR, announces the return of Circle Round, the popular storytelling podcast for children ages 4-10. The podcast’s third season launches today with “Curious Boots,” a Norwegian adventure tale starring Colin Hanks (Life in Pieces, Jumanji 2) as a precocious younger brother whose curiosity is rewarded by the queen.

Created and produced by parents of young children, Circle Round adapts folktales from around the world into sound- and music-rich radio plays for kids ages 4 to 10. Each 10- to 20-minute episode explores issues like kindness, persistence and generosity. Every episode ends with an activity that inspires a deeper conversation between children and grown-ups. New episodes drop Tuesdays at 3 p.m. ET.

The new season of Circle Round will feature 35 episodes with stories and performers such as:

Rabbit's Wish: In this story with roots in West Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America, Ryan Michelle Bathe (Life in Pieces, First Wives Club) plays a clever rabbit who discovers that power and strength aren't just about physical size.

The Great Acorn Robbery: Katy Mixon (American Housewife, Minions) and Diedrich Bader (American Housewife, Veep) headline this Seneca tale about an industrious squirrel and the sneaky critters who pilfer her prized acorns.

One Speckled Hen: 2019 Tony Award winner André De Shields (Hadestown, The Full Monty) stars in this Jewish tale that tests the old adage, "Finders keepers, losers weepers."

Circle Round is produced by WBUR, in conjunction with Sheir & Shim LLC founders Rebecca Sheir and Eric Shimelonis. Writer and host Rebecca Sheir guides listeners through each story as award-winning composer Eric Shimelonis creates the accompanying musical score and sound.

Circle Round recently released The Music of Circle Round Volume 1 featuring all the music from season one of the podcast, plus the Circle Round theme song. The album features the mbira from “The Lion’s Whisker,” the viola da gamba from “The Barber’s Secret,” the trombone from “The Goat in the Garden,” and more. The Music of Circle Round Volume 1 can be purchased on iTunes, Amazon and the CD Baby Store.

Episodes from all three seasons of Circle Round are free and available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, wbur.org/circleround or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can follow the program on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.