WBUR Circle Round Storytelling Podcast for Children

WBUR Boston Podcast for children. Circle Round

WBUR, Boston’s NPR news station, launched the second season of Circle Round, the popular storytelling podcast for children ages 4-10. The second season features 35 episodes lasting 12- to 25-minutes and featuring original music and sound design.

Boston’s NPR news station, is pleased to launch the second season of Circle Round, the popular storytelling podcast for children ages 4-10. Circle Round is also now available as special “road trip reels,” featuring one-hour, 90-minute, and two-hour pre-packaged installments for continuous listening—ideal for summer travel.  

From the WBUR producing team that brought the hit Modern Love: The Podcast, Circle Round is narrated by Rebecca Sheir and stars some of today’s most exciting theater, film and TV actors and NPR luminaries performing carefully-selected folktales from around the world. Delving into diverse and accessible topics such as kindness, persistence and generosity, the stories are adapted for modern families into 12- to 25-minute audio episodes featuring original music and sound design. New episodes drop Tuesdays at 3 p.m. ET.

“As we venture into summer, we are excited to be able to share new episodes for families to enjoy,” said Jessica Alpert, managing producer for program development at WBUR and executive producer of Circle Round. “The second season will continue to build on the themes and lessons discussed in season one while providing a welcome alternative to screen-time. I know with my family, we have long car rides on the horizon, so our team thought it would be helpful to share new forms of the podcast to make listening easier.”

“It’s been an exciting endeavor into children’s podcasting,” said WBUR Executive Director for Programming, Podcasts and Special Projects Iris Adler. “As WBUR’s first-ever child-focused program, we’re pleased to have seen great success with Circle Round with more than one million downloads. We hope to continue inspiring a young audience to cultivate a love of storytelling.”

Circle Round provides global perspectives with voices representing cultures from around the world. Episodes include prompts for discussion, giving children and caregivers plenty of food for thought long after the story ends. Season two will feature 35 episodes, including:

  • A Taste of Honey (India, Pakistan): A clever but down-on-her-luck woman uses smarts and self-reliance to outwit thieves. Starring Hannah Simone (New Girl) and her real-life father, author Naren Simone.
  • The Friendship Orchard (Kazakhstan): Two old friends dreaming of owning an orchard together learn an important lesson about the invaluable nature of patience and friendship. Starring NPR Senior National Correspondent Linda Wertheimer and NPR Special Correspondent Susan Stamberg.
  • The Perfect Partnership (Ghana): Trickster Anansi gets a taste of his own medicine after trying to hoodwink a new business partner into doing all the work. Starring Joshua Johnson (Host, WAMU/NPR's 1A) and Sam Sanders (Host, NPR's It's Been a Minute).
  • The Months of the Year (Czechoslovakia, Greece, Russia): When a young, orphaned woman encounters The Twelve Months in human form, she is rewarded for her devotion to family. Starring NPR's Ailsa Chang and Joshua Rush (Andi Mack, The Adventures of Puss in Boots).
  • The Skylark (Portugal): When landscapers can't rid a yard of an aggressive skylark, a wise mother is the only one who can figure out what the problem is. Starring Miriam Shor (The Americans, Younger).

The podcast is produced by WBUR, in conjunction with Sheir & Shim LLC founders Rebecca Sheir and Eric Shimelonis. Writer and narrator Rebecca Sheir guides listeners through each story as Eric Shimelonis, an award-winning composer, creates the accompanying soundtrack and production.

Episodes are available on iTunes.com and at wbur.org/circleround. You can follow the program on Facebook and Twitter. For more information, visit wbur.org/circleround.

About WBUR

On your radio, laptop, phone or tablet, WBUR is a leading source of news, information, analysis and sophisticated entertainment. WBUR is Boston’s NPR News Station and the home of On Point, Here & Now, Only A Game and Car Talk, reaching millions of listeners each week on NPR stations across the country. The WBUR iLab is a Top 10 national podcast producer (Podtrac, Dec. 2017) with audience favorites including Modern Love: The Podcast, Dear Sugars, Endless Thread, Circle Round and Kind World

About Sheir & Shim

Rebecca Sheir has brought thousands of stories to life as a public-radio reporter and host, appearing on such shows as Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Here & Now, The Splendid Table and Marketplace. She's helmed several weekly news programs, including AK (Alaska Public Radio Network) and Metro Connection (WAMU 88.5), and has hosted podcasts for the Folger Shakespeare Library ("Shakespeare Unlimited") and Slate Magazine ("Placemakers"). Rebecca has also done voiceover work for film, television and dozens of audio books.

Eric Shimelonis is a composer, musician, and audio producer whose work has been heard on stage, screen, and over the airwaves. Most recently, he scored and mixed the “Placemakers” podcast for Slate Magazine. He has performed in venues from CBGB to the Kennedy Center, and audiences have enjoyed his classical compositions at the Juilliard School, the Rattlestick New Music Series, and at a sold-out concert at Carnegie Hall. With more than 300 sound designs in the theater, Eric has won a Helen Hayes Award, and has been nominated for Drama Desk, Lucille Lortel, Big Easy and Henry Hewes Design Awards. Right now, you can hear his music/sound design in Roundabout Theatre Company’s world premiere of Skintight, starring Idina Menzel.

When: 
New episodes drop Tuesdays at 3 p.m. ET.
Prices: 
Phone: 
Email: 
A Landmark Summer Experience at Landmark School in Beverly Massachusetts prepare students for success in the fall and beyond.

Story Walk |This Is the Nest Robin Built

Kids will enjoy this self-guided story based tour of the Halibut Point State Park in Rockport Massachusetts! Photo by Bill O'Connor
Enjoy a story, fresh air and exercise at Halibut Point State Park ! Join us on the grounds of the for a self-guided StoryWalk® featuring the children’s picture book This is the Nest Robin Built, by Denise Fleming. Follow the path to book pages posted along the route. A wonderful story awaits! For...
8:00 am to 4:00 pm

All Family Field Trip | Early Spring Walk in the Woods

Come explore the woods with Joppa Flats and see if you can find the signs of Spring in Newburyport Massachusetts
Come explore what nature has in store at some of our most amazing wild places on the north shore. Our engaging and experienced staff will introduce families to local beaches, forests, and wetlands to make observations in nature, identify wildlife, and enjoy hands on science activities outdoors....
10:00 am to 12:00 pm

Friends of Abbot Library Moving/Book Sale

The Abbot Library is holding a moving & book sale in Marblehead Massachusetts! Image is AI generated
The Abbot Library is holding a moving & book sale in Marblehead Massachusetts! The Friends of Abbot Public Library will be having a moving sale from Monday, March 25 through Saturday, March 30! Stop by the Sail Away Book Shop located in the gym space at Abbot Public Library's interim location...
10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Sing & Dance with the Music Man

Sing & Dance with the Music Man Brian Doser in Hamilton visit Massachusetts
Come join the fun at Community House Of Hamilton & Wenham Monday, Thursday and Saturday mornings at 10am for 30 - 45 minutes of great music with Brian Doser! Sing and dance with the Music Man during a family concert, featuring familiar and original tunes, performed by local dad and musician,...
10:00 am to 10:45 am

Tabletop Gaming for Teens at APL

Abbott Library in Marblehead Massachusetts invites teens to an afternoon session of board gaming!
Need a break from your console? Hang out at the library for an hour of analog tabletop gaming to meet new friends and discover a favorite new thing to play. 
3:30 pm to 4:30 pm

Read to a Dog at APL

Kids are invited to read to a dog at Amesbury Massachusetts Public Library. Image generated with AI.
The Amesbury Public Library invites kids to come read to a dog at the Library! Gus, a mixed lab and certified reading partner dog, would love to hear you read aloud!
3:30 pm to 4:30 pm

Post Secondary School Fair at Landmark

Landmark School hosts a post secondary school fair for students with dyslexia and other language-based learning disabilities.
Meet representatives from college and university admissions and student support services, gap year programs, technical schools, and other non-traditional options. We have more exhibitors this year than ever before and we're very excited to welcome you to our high school campus!
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Felted Bunny Craft at Salisbury Library

The Salisbury Massachusetts Library hosts a crafting session featuring felted bunnies.
The Salisbury Library invites kids to join Rachelle for a fun craft night featuring fellted bunnies! Sponsored by the Friends of the Library. For kids aged 8 and older (we'll be using sewing needles). Sign-up is required and space is limited.
6:00 pm

Intermediate Sourdough Bread Workshop at Appleton Farms

Learn the ins and outs of sourdough bread at Appleton Farms in in Ipswich Massachusetts!
Have you taken the Sourdough Bread Baking class and want to learn more? Level up your bread baking skills with this workshop led by Culinary Manager Jess Porter. Participants will learn to make a variety of sourdough breads using one base dough. We’ll discuss how to incorporate whole grains,...
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Saturday, March 30

Tails for the Trails - 5k Casual Canicross

Come to Mill Pond in West Newbury the Tails for the Trails 5k Canicross to benefit the Essex County Trail Association!
Come to Mill Pond in West Newbury for ECTA's first ever Tails for the Trails, a 5k casual Canicross! Whether you and your canine partner are beginners or experienced Canicross runners this is an event for you!
10:00 am to 12:00 pm

Friends of Abbot Library Moving/Book Sale

The Abbot Library is holding a moving & book sale in Marblehead Massachusetts! Image is AI generated
The Abbot Library is holding a moving & book sale in Marblehead Massachusetts! The Friends of Abbot Public Library will be having a moving sale from Monday, March 25 through Saturday, March 30! Stop by the Sail Away Book Shop located in the gym space at Abbot Public Library's interim location...
10:00 am to 4:00 pm

CraneOutdoors: Family Snowy Owl Prowl

Join the Trustees of Reservations at the Crane Wildlife Refuge in Ipswich Massachusetts in search of the Snowy Owl!
Wide-open coastal sites are the location of choice for wintering Snowy Owls; common perches are dunes and salt hay staddles. In winters past, these owls have been frequent visitors to the Crane Wildlife Refuge.
10:00 am to 12:00 pm

Totoise & Hare 10k/5k Race & Color Run

Tortoise & Hare 5k/10k & Color Run raises funds for the Recreation Department in Salisbury Massachusetts
Come celebrate the arrival of Spring Easter Weekend at the Tortoise and the Hare 5K & 10K and Color Run!! The color run is not timed, but sure to be fun! 100% of the net proceeds will be allocated to the Salisbury Parks and Recreation for the continued development of Partridge Brook Park.
10:00 am to 1:00 pm

Befriend the Barnyard

Befriend the Barnyard is a hands-on barnyard experience at the Trustees of Reservations' Appleton Farms in Ipswich Massachusetts
Discover our special barnyard animals! Our Angora rabbits Violet, Mabel, Oiver and Charles; Nubian goats Maeve, Morgana, and Mordred; dairy cows Gray, Jasmine, their calves Gigi and Joanie and our friendly flock of heritage chickens will take center stage as we learn about what makes them so unique...
11:00 am to 1:00 pm

Salisbury Beach Carousel - Saturday Hours

Carousel at Salisbury Beach MA. Parties, Family Reunions, Weddings, Showers, Birthday Parties
Salisbury Beach Carousel Hours: Friday: 4 pm to 8 pm Saturday: 12 pm to 8 pm Sunday: 12 pm to 6 pm Hours of operation are to change.
12:00 pm to 8:00 pm

CraneOutdoors: Castle Neck Hike in the Dunes

Hiking the Dunes at the Crane Wildlife refuge with the Trustees of Reservations.
While just about everybody on the North Shore has probably been to Crane Beach, the dunes of Castle Neck are a much less explored world unto themselves. Offering one of the most accessible dune ecosystems north of Cape Cod, Castle Neck has over six miles of trails, traversing the dunes, maritime...
1:00 pm to 3:30 pm

Rockport Community Egg Hunt

The Rockport Chamber of Commerce sponsors the annual Community Egg Hunt
The Rockport Division of the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce will hold the 32nd Annual Rockport Community Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, March 30th at 2 PM. The event is for the children of the town: Pre-schoolers through Grade one; and will take place at Millbrook Meadow. Pre-schoolers will be grouped...
1:45 pm to 2:15 pm

Saturday Family Farm Chores at Appleton Farms

Join The Trustees of Reservations at Appleton Farms for our special, hands-on Family Farm Chores program held on Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays
Every day is full of a list of barnyard chores we need to get down to make sure our farmyard friends are happy and healthy! Let’s get to work.
3:00 pm to 4:00 pm

Sunday, March 31

Sunday Family Farm Chores at Appleton Farms

Join The Trustees of Reservations at Appleton Farms for our special, hands-on Family Farm Chores program held on Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays
Every day is full of a list of barnyard chores we need to get down to make sure our farmyard friends are happy and healthy! Let’s get to work.
9:00 am to 10:00 pm