Lions and Legends

The Game That Changed Time: An Egyptian Myth

In this high-stakes Egyptian myth, a crafty god tries reversing a solar curse by challenging the moon to a fateful, cosmic board game. 🦁Time for you to ROAR! At the top of our episode, we heard from our persevering League of Lions member, Persistence *** We want to know: how did you practice persistence this week? *** Were you learning to ride a bike, and even though you kept tipping over you got right back on again? Maybe you were practicing an instrument, and played the same song over and over until you felt it in your bones! Or you spent hours building a Lego set, refusing to give up until it all clicked together! Tell us how you practiced persistence, and you could be featured on Lions and Legends! Grown-ups: grab a smartphone, record a 30-second voice memo of your kiddo describing how they persisted, then email the audio to info@lionsandlegends.org 🦁Thanks for being part of the Lions and Legends pride! We invite you to: Sign up for our League of Lions membership club here!

Why The Echidna Has Spines: A Djaru Dreaming Story (Live in NYC)

Recorded live in NYC with an all-star cast of kidcasters, this creation tale from Western Australia shows how the echidna got its trademark spines! 🦁Time for you to ROAR! At the top of our episode, we had a moment with our appreciative League of Lions member, Gratitude *** How did you show gratitude this week? *** Did you write a hand-made thank-you note or help out with a surprise chore at home? Maybe you simply said “thank you” to your mail carrier or bus driver or librarian Tell us how you showed gratitude, and you could be featured on Lions and Legends! Grown-ups: grab a smartphone, record a 30-second voice memo of your kiddo describing how they showed gratitude, then email the audio to info@lionsandlegends.org 🦁Thanks for being part of the Lions and Legends pride! We invite you to: Sign up for our League of Lions membership club here!

The Day The Jellyfish Got Squished: A Japanese Folktale (Live in NYC)

This classic Japanese folktale recorded live in NYC with an all-star cast of kidcasters reveals how a monkey's mischief gave the jellyfish its jelly! 🦁Time for you to ROAR! At the top of our episode, we had a moment with our lovely League of Lions member, Wisdom *** How did you use your wisdom this week? *** Did you take a deep breath when you were frustrated, instead of lashing or acting out? Maybe you made a particularly smart or wise choice, or you looked at a tricky problem from a whole different angle until you figured it out! Tell us how you called on your wisdom, and you could be featured on Lions and Legends! Grown-ups: grab a smartphone, record a 30-second voice memo of your kiddo telling their wisdom story, then email the audio to info@lionsandlegends.org 🦁Thanks for being part of the Lions and Legends pride! We invite you to: Sign up for our League of Lions membership club here!

Two Sides of the Coin: A Chinese Parable

This ancient Chinese parable teaches a powerful lesson about jumping to conclusions, making snap judgments, and putting the cart before the horse! 🦁Time for you to ROAR! At the top of our episode, we heard from our forbearing League of Lions member, Patience ***How did you practice patience this week?*** Were you stuck in a slow-moving checkout line at the store, but you managed to wait it out? Maybe you drew the coolest bicycle ever, but when you went to show your grown-up, you had to wait for them to finish talking to a neighbor or chatting on the phone Perhaps you were planning to play outside, but then you had to wait out the surprise storm that rolled in! Share your patience story with us, and you could be featured on Lions and Legends! Grown-ups: record a 30-second voice memo of your kiddo describing how they practiced patience, then email the audio to info@lionsandlegends.org. 🦁Thanks for being part of the Lions and Legends pride! We invite you to: Sign up for our League of Lions membership club here!

The Dog With the Spark and No Bark: A Nyanga Myth

Why don’t basenjis bark? Find out in this Nyanga myth from the Congo in central Africa, about a dog who defies a deity and changes hound history forever 🦁Time for you to ROAR! At the start of our episode, we spent a moment with our inquisitive League of Lions member, Curiosity ***How did you practice curiosity this week?*** Maybe you uncovered a fascinating fact in a book, you stopped to examine a cool bug or bird, or you finally figured out how that mysterious gadget in your house actually works! Share your curiosity story with us, and you could be featured on Lions and Legends! Grown-ups: record a 30-second voice memo of your kiddo describing how they practiced curiosity, then email the audio to info@lionsandlegends.org. 🦁Thanks for being part of the Lions and Legends pride! We invite you to: Sign up for our League of Lions membership club here!

Grunt Work: A Turkish Folktale

A wise trickster teaches a funny lesson on fairness in this Turkish tale about a hard-working woodcutter and a hard-grunting farmer! 🦁Time for you to ROAR! Nasruddin made an important point about the importance of integrity: telling the truth, keeping your word, and otherwise doing the right thing ***How did you show integrity this week?*** Did you congratulate the winning team, instead of making excuses or stomping away? Maybe you found a fun toy at the library, and gave it to the lost and found instead of putting it in your pocket Perhaps you counted all the way to twenty during hide-and-seek without peeking through your fingers! Share your integrity story with us, and you could be featured on Lions and Legends! Grown-ups: record a 30-second voice memo of your kiddo describing how they practiced integrity, then email the audio to info@lionsandlegends.org. 🦁Thanks for being part of the Lions and Legends pride!

The Infinite Appetite: An Indian Purana

In this tasty Indian tale, a gajillionaire god's outsized ego is tested by an elephant god’s seemingly bottomless belly! 🦁Time for you to ROAR! Kubera, the god of wealth, learned a tasty lesson about what it means to be generous ***How have you practiced generosity this week?*** Maybe you volunteered at a local charity or donated old clothes or toys Perhaps you left a book in a Little Free Library, or held the door open for a friend! Tell us your generosity story, and you could be featured on Lions and Legends! Grown-ups: record a 30-second voice memo of your kiddo describing how they practiced generosity, then email the audio to info@lionsandlegends.org. 🦁Thanks for being part of the Lions and Legends pride!

How the Honey Bees Got Their Sting: A Greek Fable

In this Greek fable, a queen bee's wish for sweet revenge comes back to sting her! 🦁Time for you to ROAR! Being unkind doesn’t just hurt others As we learn in today’s story, it can hurt us too! Kindness can make the whole world a lot sweeter, so we want to know: **How have you practiced kindness recently?** Did you invite a new student to sit with you at lunch? Maybe you shared a favorite toy with a friend, or you gave a family member a warm, cozy hug Find some paper and some crayons, markers, or colored pencils, then draw a picture of your kind act When you’re done, we’d love to see your kindness superpowers at work! Grownups: email a photo of your kiddo and their artwork to info@lionsandlegends.org. 🦁Thanks for being part of the Lions and Legends pride!

The King of Beasts and the Queen of Brains: A Swahili Folktale

In this Swahili folktale from East Africa, a cunning hare cooks up a sweet plan to escape the clutches of a haughty, hungry lion When the vengeful feline visits Hare’s house, ready to pounce, she has to think on her (very quick) feet! 🦁Time for you to ROAR! At the top of today’s episode you met members of our League of Lions: our pride of values and virtues that make the world a better place, including Courage, Curiosity, Generosity, Gratitude, Integrity, Kindness, Patience, Persistence, and Wisdom **Which Lion did YOU bring to life this week?** Whether you practiced Persistence by not giving up, used Kindness with a friendly word, or showed Generosity by sharing, we want to feature YOU on Lions and Legends! Grown-ups: record a 30-second voice memo of your child talking about their virtue and story, then email the audio to info@lionsandlegends.org. 🦁Thanks for being part of the Lions and Legends pride!

Skuba and the Dragon: A Polish Legend

What happens when a ravenous dragon meets a clever shoemaker with a needle, a thread, a sheepskin, and a brilliant plan? Find out in this famous legend from Poland, and find out why the Polish capital of Krakow is among the dragon capitals of the world! 🦁Time for you to ROAR! Today you met members of our League of Lions: the pride of virtues that make the world a better place, including Courage, Curiosity, Generosity, Gratitude, Integrity, Kindness, Patience, Persistence, and Wisdom **Which Lion were YOU this week?** Did you show Courage and try something new? Did you practice Patience during a long wait? Did you use Curiosity to explore? Tell us your story, and you could be featured on Lions and Legends! Grown-ups: record a 30-second voice memo of your kiddo’s virtue and story, then email the audio to info@lionsandlegends.org. 🦁Thanks for being part of the Lions and Legends pride!

The Flash and the Crash: A Cambodian Myth

Ever wonder how thunder and lightning came to be? In this myth from Cambodia, you’ll meet a powerful goddess with a glowing crystal ball and a jealous giant with a flying axe When they clash in the sky, boy do the sparks fly! 🦁Time for you to ROAR! Our episode started with members of the League of Lions: our pride of nine world-changing virtues including Courage, Curiosity, Generosity, Gratitude, Integrity, Kindness, Patience, Persistence, and Wisdom! **Which Lion did YOU act like this week?** Did you show Gratitude by thanking someone? Did you use Integrity by playing fair? Did you call on Wisdom to solve a problem? Tell us about it, and we may feature you on an episode of Lions and Legends! Grown-ups: grab your smartphone and record a 30-second voice memo of your kiddo sharing their virtue and story Then email the audio to info@lionsandlegends.org. 🦁Thanks for being part of the Lions and Legends pride!

Audio Appetizer: Settling the Score

If you’re familiar with the music of Eric Shimelonis – especially from his work on his and Rebecca’s last kids and family podcast – then you may know that: He plays a lot of different instruments, many from around the world. He likes composing in diverse genres. He enjoys composing for and collaborating with other musicians. In this in-tune interview, our resident music man describes how all these points will apply to the scores you’ll hear on Lions and Legends! Follow Lions and Legends on your favorite podcast app. And please join us for our independent podcast’s official launch – with three juicy, full-length episodes – on Sept. 1, 2026! Thanks for being part of the Lions and Legends pride! Join our mailing list ⁠here⁠! Find our upcoming live events here! Join our social media communities: ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠Facebook⁠

Audio Appetizer: Setting the Fable

“Look before you leap.” “Slow and steady wins the race.” “Sour grapes.” These famous sayings all come from fables: short stories that convey a useful lesson, often through talking animals or other nonhuman entities. While some of the oldest fables hail from India and Greece, these tight little teaching tales have been told the world over. Listen to this week’s audio appetizer to find out why… and to learn how they relate to fancy mushrooms, Steven Spielberg, and Bingo the dog! Follow Lions and Legends on your favorite podcast app for snack-sized audio treats every other Tuesday all summer long. And join us for our independent podcast’s official launch on Sept. 1, 2026! Thanks for being part of the Lions and Legends pride! Join our mailing list ⁠here⁠! Find our upcoming live events here! Join our social media communities: ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠Facebook⁠

Audio Appetizer: Once Upon a Folktale

Come along as Rebecca Sheir explores the wide, wild world of folktales: timeless stories that can rack up some serious frequent-flier miles! Follow Lions and Legends on your favorite podcast app for snack-sized audio treats every other Tuesday all summer long. And join us for our independent podcast’s official launch on Sept. 1, 2026! Thanks for being part of the Lions and Legends pride! Join our mailing list ⁠here⁠! Join our social media communities: ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠Facebook⁠

Audio Appetizer: Living Legends

What is a “legend”? Host Rebecca Sheir guides you on an action-packed exploration of these age-old stories that start with a kernel of truth, before exploding into the most magical, dramatic, romantic popcorn you ever did hear!* (*Yeah, we know. It’s kind of an odd – if tasty – metaphor. But it’ll make more sense when you listen. Promise!) As we count down to our podcast’s official launch on Sept. 1, 2026, follow Lions and Legends on your favorite podcast app for bite-sized audio treats every other Tuesday all summer long. Thanks for being part of the Lions and Legends pride! Join our mailing list ⁠here⁠! Join our social media communities: ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠Facebook⁠

Audio Appetizer: Myth Understood

As we count down to the September 1 launch of Rebecca Sheir and Eric Shimelonis’s new independent storytelling podcast, Lions and Legends, we invite you to enjoy this bite-sized audio appetizer: a lively mini-lesson about the ancient tales known as myths, and the surprising ways they connect with our modern lives. Follow Lions and Legends on your favorite podcast app for bite-sized audio treats every other Tuesday all summer long. Thanks for being part of the Lions and Legends pride! Join our mailing list ⁠here⁠! Join our social media communities: ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠Facebook⁠

Audio Appetizer: The Lion and the Donkey

Rebecca Sheir and Eric Shimelonis’s new independent storytelling podcast, Lions and Legends, is on its way! As we count down to our September 1 launch, enjoy this bite-sized audio appetizer. It’s a mini-tale from ancient Greek and Roman times told by Rebecca, with help from some faithful feline friends: our League of Lions! Follow Lions and Legends on your favorite podcast app for mini-audio treats every other Tuesday all summer long. Thanks for being part of the Lions and Legends pride! Join our mailing list here! Join our social media communities: Instagram, Facebook

Introducing Lions and Legends!

Rebecca Sheir and Eric Shimelonis – partners in podcasting and life – are going independent, and launching a new storytelling podcast just for you! Welcome to the magical world of Lions and Legends: fun, fantastical retellings of legends, myths, folktales, and fables through the ages! Each 15- to 25-minute audio adventure will feature gripping action and compelling characters, while providing a timeless tool for teaching values, fostering empathy, and bringing hope, wisdom, and comfort to today’s topsy-turvy world. Full-length episodes drop September 1st. In the meantime, follow us to enjoy appetizing audio treats every other Tuesday all summer. Visit lionsandlegends.org to learn more, amd to join our mailing list!