Circle Round

Broadway star Liana Hunt (Back to the Future) headlines this tale with Polish and Hispanic roots about seeing the bright side, even when things get dark. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

Oscar nominee Stephanie Hsu (Everything Everywhere All At Once, The Monkey King) headlines this magical Vietnamese tale about the sweet rewards generosity and contentment can bring. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

Announcing an exciting new way for you to Circle Round with us, support public radio and get some really cool stuff — welcome to the Circle Round Club! Also check out the preview of one of our bonus bedtime stories: a tale we call “The Lighthouse of the Pampas,” from the South American country of Uruguay. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

Recorded live at Tanglewood with members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and a star-studded cast, this Chinese courtroom drama explores truth, justice, and the elephant way. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

Recorded live at Tanglewood with members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and a star-studded cast, this West African tale shows why dishonesty is definitely not the best policy! Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

Recorded live at Tanglewood with members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and a star-studded cast, this tale from Borneo features a tiny trickster who untangles a problem by tying it up in knots! Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

Saara Chaudry (The Muppets Mayhem, Holly Hobby) stars in this tale from India and beyond about good deeds, bad intentions, and biscuits. Lots of biscuits. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

Vivien Lyra Blair (Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Boogeyman) headlines this story from the indigenous peoples of Siberia about a supernatural spirit with a very cold shoulder. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

In this Native American and First Nations tale, William Jackson Harper (The Good Place, Love Life) portrays a tiny creature who teaches the other animals and birds to appreciate what it means to be different. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

Hannah Simone (New Girl; Mira, Royal Detective) stars alongside her real-life father Naren Simone in a South Asian tale about the power of self-reliance. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

Richard Kind (Inside Out, American Dad!) stars in this Middle Eastern folktale about a clever man who teaches his village a thing or two about the dangers of judging a book by its cover. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

Miles Brown and Marsai Martin (Black-ish) co-star with NPR veteran Ofeiba Quist-Arcton in this Ethiopian story about courage, collaboration, patience, and sibling love. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

Recorded live at KCRW in Santa Monica, CA, this story with international roots shows how having a soft spot for hard work can pay off -- big time! Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

Recorded live at KCRW in Santa Monica, CA, this story from Thailand, Laos, and Malaysia gives a whole new meaning to "promising the moon"! Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

Recorded live at Round House Theatre in Bethesda, MD, this African tale explains how the guinea fowl got its distinctively speckled feathers. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

Recorded live at Round House Theatre in Bethesda, MD, this tale from the Jewish tradition shows how misplacing our trust can put us in a sticky situation! Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

Willam Mapother (Lost, On Sacred Ground) headlines this Romanian tale about a story-less man who hopes his tale will end happily ever after! Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

Pablo Castelblanco (Alaska Daily, Ganymede) and Meredith Holzman (Alaska Daily, Inventing Anna) headline a story with Burmese and Indian roots about a humble peddler, a magic squirrel, and a golden opportunity. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

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 .

Stephanie Panisello (What If...?, Ba Da Bean) stars in a Filipino tale about the sweet role kindness can play in achieving your dreams. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

Nazneen Contractor (Holidazed, Star Wars Resistance) plays a cunning barber whose wits are as sharp as her scissors in this clever Bengali tale. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

Comedians Fortune Feimster (Good Fortune, FUBAR) and Tom Papa (What a Day!, You're Doing Great!) face off in a contest of brawn versus brains in this tale with roots across Europe, and Latin and North America. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

Broadway performer Brittney Johnson (Wicked) stars in an Estonian story about being able to control the weather -- and the responsibility such power brings. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

In this magical tale from Japan, Marc delaCruz (If/Then, Hamilton) plays a lowly cook whose kitchen scraps bring him a golden reward. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .

Mel Rodriguez (The Afterparty, CSI: Vegas) stars in this Ecuadorian tale about a talented architect who has a devil of a time meeting a seemingly impossible deadline. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .