Dorktales Storytime

Send voice or text msg We’re 50 episodes in so Molly Murphy, writer, producer and composer for Dorktales Storytime—and our host, Jonathan Cormur’s sister—has a special message about why storytelling and imagination are so incredibly important to the Dorktales’ Team: “We love making this podcast because we can tell all kids that everything they’re feeling is valid. We can give them tools for naviga...

Send voice or text msg On an otherwise normal day, a portal opens in a mysterious tree hidden in the very corners of a California redwood forest. Jonathan walks through the trunk and tumbles into the mystical, magical land of Once Upon a Time. Mr. Reginald T. Hedgehog, who’s out on his daily walk around his hovel, encounters this lost human. The two discover their kinship and begin their quest to...

Send voice or text msg Annoyed and anxious and angry, oh my! Looks like our friends from the Folktale Forest are on an emotional roller coaster, especially the Big Bad Wolf. He's so upset, he just wants to howl at the moon! Luckily, they encounter a caring capybara who patiently helps them sort through their big feelings and calm themselves down. Join Jonathan, Redge, and Big Bad as they lear...

Send voice or text msg An epic quest to uncover an early video game pioneer! As a teen, Jerry Lawson was a self-taught electronics wiz—building ham radios, making walkie-talkies from scratch, and repairing his neighbor’s TVs. His love of new technologies brought him to California where he became one of the only Black engineers in Silicon Valley. While there, he changed the course of the video game...

Send voice or text msg Two traveling dudes mindlessly meander down a path when they awaken ferocious O, a ginormous growling bear, from his peaceful slumber! Will these best bro buddies help each other to safety when the bear barrels towards them in full bluster? Or will one have to learn a righteous lesson about who he can truly count on when things get tough? PARENTS, TEACHERS AND HOMESCHOOLERS:...

Send voice or text msg A story of diving, discovery, and the Shark Lady! Fascinated by marine life as a child, Eugenie Clark grew to become a leading ichthyologist who changed the way scientists study ocean life. Throughout her career, she conducted 72 submersible dives, led more than 200 field expeditions, and pioneered the practice of underwater research through scuba diving. She cared deeply fo...

Send voice or text msg Harumph! Why is a new neighbor making Mr. Redge’s quills stand on end? Maybe his outlook will change after hearing the story of the pompous peacock who struts his fine feathers while prejudging the friendly crane. Will he connect with the crane’s advice to stay open minded, or will he stand firm with his first fowl impression?  PARENTS, TEACHERS AND HOMESCHOOLERS: This is ou...

Send voice or text msg A seafaring tale of daring do in a long dress and petticoats! At the young age of 15, Ida Lewis helped her father with his lighthouse keeper’s duties on Lime Rock. She grew to become the small island’s sole keeper responsible for protecting and guiding ships to safe harbor. Throughout her life, Ida fearlessly rowed her small skiff out in rough storms and icy waters to rescue...

Send voice or text msg “Question everything!” That’s Rapunzel’s motto. The princess from Mythdom breaks all fairy tale stereotypes when she tells the story that her time in the tower was for scientific innovation and experimentation. Her patented, three-step, hair strengthening system could win her a STEM scholarship! Can she shimmy down the tower’s trellis and make her way through the peat bog pa...

Send voice or text msg A tale of storytelling magic and handmade puppets from the Bronx to the Lower East Side! Pura Belpré was the very first Puerto Rican librarian hired by the New York Public Library. She was an advocate for Spanish-speaking communities and was responsible for introducing bilingual story hours, authoring children’s stories in Spanish, and releasing the first book of translated...

Send voice or text msg It’s the Folktale Forest’s annual Diamond Pitch Pennant! Mr. Redge is upset that his team, the Woodland Wonders, lost their first game. He’s sure that he alone is the reason his team is known as the understory underdogs. It takes the tale of one parched yet patient hedgehog with a brilliant idea to prove to him that his one, two, three strikes you’re out experience is why he...

Send voice or text msg In honor of Black History Month, we share an encore of our most popular Hidden Hero of History episode about George Washington Carver: It’s a story of perseverance and the power of plants! Despite the barriers thrust upon him, George Washington Carver overcame society’s challenges to ultimately become one of the nation’s leading botanists and agricultural inventors. Did you...

Send voice or text msg After worrying that the forest creatures don't respect him, Mr. Wolf exits his cave at sunset and is surprised by his new fearsome and formidable shadow. Feeling large and in charge for the first time, he struts about declaring he’s now the forest’s fiercest foe! It takes the setting sun and one small sparrow to break his illusion, and help him realize he’s already admi...

Send voice or text msg Two stories of trailblazing triumphs! Helen Liu Fong and Norma Merrick Sklarek broke new ground in building design to become two of the most innovative architects of the 20th Century. Talent and a never-give-up attitude were their blueprints for overcoming gender and racial discrimination in their professions, and served as the building blocks for their distinguished careers...

Send voice or text msg Listener Favorites’ Encore! Is the fancy fabric for the emperor’s new clothes really invisible to those who are not worthy? Or is this a case of double-dealing dupery by two wily weavers? As the emperor struts his stylish self through the streets of his kingdom, it will take one forthright boy to blurt out the naked truth. PARENTS, TEACHERS AND HOMESCHOOLERS : This is a rete...

Send voice or text msg It's a beautiful day for a story! Welcome to the wonderful, wacky, wild world of Dorktales Storytime! Join our storytelling  hosts, Jonathan and Mr. Reginald T. Hedgehog, who will take you through the land of Once Upon a Time for fairytales and fables reimagined, histories of hidden heroes, and journeys through the imagination! We promise twists and turns, and lessons l...

Send voice or text msg Life in the Folktale Forest is merry and bright! Jonathan made a glorious holiday feast—including his pop-in-the-oven crescent rolls and his Aunt Mary Ann’s famous sugar cookie recipe—so he and Mr. Redge can grab a plate, gather by the crackling fire, and settle in to hear some Christmas cheer. Join the holiday happiness as they listen to “A Cratchit Christmas” from the Girl...

Send voice or text msg Pull up a log, gather ‘round the campfire with your cocoa and get ready for the Jolly Holly Day Spectacular! Jolly Holly has been passed down through generations of Folktale Forest hedgehogs—a day for sharing the year’s joyful moments, and the experiences that make hearts sing. Mr. Redge hosts this reason-for-the-season celebration filled with happy hedgehog traditions, podf...

Send voice or text msg Who’s on board to help Little Redge Hen sow some seeds, harvest the wheat, and grind it in to flour? “NOT I,” say the unbelievably unconcerned cow, the overly obstinate ostrich, and the sourly stubborn sheep, who are focused on their own selfish ways. Will the barnyard besties finally step up, or will Hen’s freshly baked bread fill them with the smell of regret? PARENTS, TEA...

Send voice or text msg A story of an extraordinary mission of mail and morale! Overcoming the prejudice of her time, Lieutenant Colonel Charity Adams became the first Black woman to command her own battalion in World War II. Known as the “Six Triple Eight,” she and 855 Black female soldiers were assigned to take up a lost cause - sending 17 million warehoused letters and packages to the soldiers w...

Send voice or text msg Hello boils, ghouls, and non-corporeal entities! Our SCARE-rator is here to tell you a spooky tale that will send shivers up your quivers and make your teeth chatter with delight! It’s party time at Katrina’s house and Ichabod Crane is having the time of his life. Jealous of his fun, Brom Bones gathers the guests to tell the chilling tale of the Headless Horseman, because he...

Send voice or text msg ¡La historia del ruiseñor mexicano! Beloved for her remarkable Bel Canto singing style, Ángela Peralta became known the world over as “The Mexican Nightingale.” She made her debut at the young age of 15, rising in demand to appear at leading opera houses throughout Mexico, Italy, France, Spain, Russia, Egypt and the United States. Beyond singing, Ms. Peralta also wrote and c...

Send voice or text msg The lonely Prince is fed up with the Queen and her court! Their snobby standards are keeping him from finding someone who cares about connection over social status. Enter Wilhemina, the rain-soaked and mud-covered girl who makes a mess of a first impression, but ultimately proves that true friendship is more than a popularity contest.   PARENTS, TEACHERS AND HOMESCHOOLERS: T...

Send voice or text msg A tale that leads to an extinct volcano’s summit! Evelyn Cheesman’s deep love of the natural world led her to becoming the first woman curator at the London Zoo and leading entomologist for the Natural History Museum. From 1923 to 1953, she traveled to remote locations on solo-expeditions (unheard of for a woman at the time) where she observed, collected and catalogued previ...

Send voice or text msg Rushing out to attend the annual Honey Harvest Hullabaloo, the three bears absentmindedly leave their home in haste and end up with an uninvited guest! Goldiquills—a discourteous and disrespectful golden-quilled hedgehog—feels entitled to slurp, smartphone, and sleep her way through their things. Can she widen her eyes (and heart) to her bullying ways when the bear family re...