Storybook Railroad
45 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 4 years ago - ★★★★★ - 1 ratingBroadcasting together since 1990, radio personalities Robin MacBlane and Larry Whitler, better known as Robin And The Giant, host this podcast featuring conversations and interviews about books, music, and entertainment of all types for children and young readers.
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Episodes
The Day The Crayons Came Home
June 23, 2020 22:10 - 12 minutes - 17.4 MBIn this podcast we talk about the delightful book "The Day The Crayons Came Home" written by Drew Daywalt and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers. Daywalt and Jeffers are also the creators of "The Day The Crayons Quit." This is a fun book that is chock full of creative and humorous ideas. Your children will never look at their crayons the same ever again.
Ocala's 4th Annual Horse Capital Parade
March 08, 2020 02:19 - 27 minutes - 25 MBOcala and Marion County, Florida, are known as the "Horse Capital of The World" and in today's podcast we visited an event celebrating the horse industry. There are so many things that horses are amazing at beyond racing. For example, many horses are often utilized in therapy for children and veterans. We spoke to horse industry professionals including a Stagecoach Driver and an author who wrote a children's book about the dog that rides on top of the stagecoach with the driver.
Superintendent's Literacy Festival Celebrate Reading 2020
March 01, 2020 01:41 - 46 minutes - 42.7 MBIn this special 46 minute podcast we visit Marion County Florida's Literacy Festival celebrating the joy of reading. We speak with teachers, principals, students, parents, paraprofessionals, and reading advocates about the importance of instilling the love of reading to students of all ages.
The Great Backyard Bird Count
February 16, 2020 01:01 - 19 minutes - 27.3 MBIn this episode of Storybook Railroad, we go bicycling in Ormond Beach, Florida, in Central Park and discover that we showed up on the same day as the Great Backyard Bird Count. This annual event is presented by Halifax River Audubon. They partnered with Ormond Beach Environmental Discovery Center to create this family event that features bird walks, games, crafts, exhibits and more. All while documenting the birds in the park and entering observations into a global database. For more inform...
Doggy Dog World
May 30, 2019 23:28 - 23 minutes - 52.9 MBMary Ann's dog, Rudy, learns an important lesson about not judging others and about being careful about feelings of revenge. This story is written by Larry Whitler and first appeared on the Robin And The Giant radio program in the early 1990s. It is part of the anthology of stories included in the "Gift Of The Barking Frog" book by Robin MacBlane and Larry Whitler. The bonus song included after the story was originally broadcast with this story.
Memories
May 02, 2019 09:52 - 13 minutes - 25 MBFour children have a school assignment to research history and present their discoveries to the class. At first they go to the library to decide what historical event they would focus on. Then, when they bump into the grandfather of one of the children, they realize that history may be closer than they realize. In fact it is right in their own attic! Written by Robin MacBlane, "Memories" first appeared in the early 1990s on the Robin And The Giant radio program and can be read in the book "T...
The Mystery Of The Missing Birds
April 26, 2019 00:14 - 26 minutes - 61.5 MBJohnathan and Wanda know that the birds fly south in the winter. But, what they don't know, is where, exactly, the birds fly to. In this story the two children take their inquisitive minds and use some good old fashioned library research to try to uncover the answer to this perplexing question. Written by Larry Whitler, "The Mystery Of The Missing Birds" first appeared on the Robin And The Giant radio show in the early 1990s and can be found in the book "The Gift Of The Barking Frog."
Shasta
April 18, 2019 10:10 - 17 minutes - 32 MBShannon loved playing make-believe with her toy Pegasus that she named Shasta. Her imagination enabled Shannon to pretend to fly on the winged horse, play with the birds, and even chase away the evil hunters. But, in real life, Shannon's true dream was to own a horse of her own. A real horse. In this story, written by Robin MacBlane, every young girl's dream is expressed as Shannon and Shasta take us all on a beautiful trip filled with love and fantasy.
A Jelly Jar Mint of Belly Button Lint
April 04, 2019 19:31 - 15 minutes - 28.4 MBSometimes it takes the mind of a child to show us all which things are really valuable. In "A Jelly Jar Mint of Belly Button Lint" three little children show the rest of us that nothing is worth more than spending time with someone we love. Written by Larry Whitler, this story first appeared on the Robin And The Giant radio show in the early 1990s and is found in the book "The Gift Of The Barking Frog."
Field Trip
March 28, 2019 10:07 - 10 minutes - 19.1 MBField Trip, written by Robin MacBlane, was one of the most popular stories that we did in the early 1990s on our old radio program Robin And The Giant. It tells a simple tale that every school child, and former school child, remembers with fondness. The original broadcast of this story included the song, "Field Trip," also recorded and written by Robin And The Giant. The story can now be found in the book "The Gift Of The Barking Frog."
Bobby And Fluff Pup
March 21, 2019 18:40 - 18 minutes - 34.1 MBThis is a story about a puppy, a six year old boy, and a Dad. They all are learning from one another as they each have to face the consequences of their own mistakes. Written by Larry Whitler, Bobby And Fluff Pup was first heard on the Robin And The Giant radio program in the early 1990s. It is also found in the book "The Gift Of The Barking Frog."
Sadie
March 14, 2019 23:13 - 20 minutes - 46.3 MBA young girl, named Sadie, doesn't feel as beautiful as she feels her older sister is. Even though she is truly beautiful on the inside, Sadie wants to be beautiful on the outside, too. The lesson Sadie learns about the true beauty that is already within her is learned with the help of the costume lady from a local theatrical group. This story is written by Robin MacBlane and was first made public on the Robin And The Giant radio program in the early 1990s. The story is also found in the boo...
A Dancer Dances
March 01, 2019 01:25 - 21 minutes - 48.9 MBMary was a dancer but she didn't believe in herself. Her friend, Harold, however, completely believed in her. It took a while but Harold finally convinced Mary to audition for a major dancing job at a show in New York City. This is a story about confidence and friendship. It is a story about believing in oneself and pursuing one's dreams. Written by Larry Whitler in the early 1990s, "A Dancer Dances" originally appeared on the old Robin And The Giant radio program and can be found in the boo...
The Tales Of The Rail
January 24, 2019 18:57 - 15 minutes - 29.1 MBWhen one of the new students in Mrs. Bryant's sixth grade class told some incredible stories to the other students, about his life and his family, his classmates felt inferior and less accomplished. Mrs. Bryant noticed that the fibs the new student was telling were making the other students feel unimportant. Since it would be wrong to call the new student a liar, Mrs. Bryant had a better idea! Written by Robin MacBlane, this story first appeared on the Robin And The Giant radio show in the e...
The Scariest Spell Of Pajama Top Hill
January 16, 2019 20:53 - 17 minutes - 31.7 MBJoe Gurney lived a long and lonely life in the days when everybody was scurrying in the wild west to find gold. But Joe was different and never cared much for gold. In fact, Joe Gurney was most interested in why people spent so much time searching for gold. When Joe Gurney died the people of Cowtown found themselves victim to their own obsessions and the ghost of Joe Gurney made this perfectly clear. Written by Larry Whitler, this story first appeared on the Robin And The Giant radio show in...
The Historical Adventure
January 11, 2019 01:33 - 17 minutes - 39.4 MBTwo friends visit the Museum Of Natural History and take a ride into the distant, and not so distant, past. Their travels through time reveal the ways that humans have had an affect on the environment. The two children also learn how the lessons learned from those past mistakes have helped humanity realize that we need to be better stewards of the earth. Written by Robin MacBlane, this story first appeared on the Robin And The Giant radio show in the early 1990s. It is published in the book ...
Gibsonton Circus
January 06, 2019 14:34 - 12 minutes - 22.7 MBIn this bonus episode of Storybook Railroad, we visited the Gibsonton International Independent Showmen's Club Circus in Riverview, Florida. The circus is a fundraiser to benefit local charities. Everything was done by volunteers! All of the performers, musicians, clowns, box office workers, animal handlers, and even the owners and installers of the tent and seating volunteered their time and talents to bring this circus to the people. We are joined by Robin's mother, Beverly, Robin's daught...
The Dog With The Unbelievable Tale
January 04, 2019 02:24 - 20 minutes - 47.9 MBA young homeless puppy stumbles upon the home of an older and much more affluent dog. The friendship seems unlikely to the younger pup but the older, and wiser, dog knows the importance of being patient and gentle. In the end, it is love that levels the playing field. Written by Larry Whitler (The Giant) this story first appeared on the Robin And The Giant radio show in the early 1990s. The song that follows the story is called "Winds Of Change" and accompanied this story in the original bro...
The Star Gazers
December 30, 2018 09:46 - 14 minutes - 33.8 MBNine year old Amanda gets to spend some time at an observatory with her Uncle Jack, who is a scientist. Together they explore the night sky through the lens of a telescope. In the process, Amanda learns about the planets in our solar system and Jack learns to make believe as the two of them pretend to spot a fleet of menacing flying saucers. This story was written by Robin MacBlane and first appeared on the old Robin And The Giant radio program in the early 1990s. The story is also published...
Effortless Flight
December 21, 2018 01:33 - 10 minutes - 23.3 MBFourth grade classmates Kathryn and William were going to fly kites with William's father at a nearby park. William had his kite for two years but this would be the first time flying it because his Dad always had to work. But this was his father's day off and today would finally be the day they would get to fly the kite. But when the phone rings, and it is William's father's boss asking him to come in to work, William and Kathryn are worried that their trip to the park might be cancelled.
The Magic Of The Clowns
December 14, 2018 02:49 - 13 minutes - 31 MBA make-believe circus is coming to school and the children in attendance learn an important lesson about how everyone makes a big difference in the lives of the others around them. Written by Robin MacBlane, this story first was broadcast on the old Robin And The Giant radio show in the early 1990s. It also appears in the book "The Gift Of The Barking Frog."
La-La-Land
December 07, 2018 02:13 - 16 minutes - 37.4 MBMrs. Christopher's 3rd Grade Class was going on a field trip to an amusement park called La-La-Land. It was young Evan's first time going to La-La-Land and his mother told him it would be fun and educational. But the lessons he learned from this field trip were from the conversations he heard from his classmates. One was concerned about being a know-it-all, another was speaking condescendingly about everything, and another was more interested in how expensive the souvenirs were. Written by L...
School Lunch Vs. Lunch From Home
November 30, 2018 01:52 - 14 minutes - 33.2 MBAs a writing assignment at school, four children write a skit for the school stage that portrays a mock boxing match pitting school lunch against lunch from home. The children in the audience love the presentation and, in the end, the story shows that both lunch options can be healthy if the right foods are chosen. Written by Robin MacBlane, this story first appeared on the Robin And The Giant radio show in the early 1990s. It also is published in the book "The Gift Of The Barking Frog."
Wonder Sounds
November 23, 2018 00:54 - 16 minutes - 37.7 MBEric and Susan, ten and eight years old respectively, along with their mother, visit their great-grandfather in the nursing home. Great-Grandfather was a songwriter in his younger days. The children bring gifts to their Great-Grandpa that represent his love of music. But it isn't until the children learn that hit group, The Razors, recorded one of Great-Grandpas old songs do they really become excited about the musical legacy their great-grandfather is leaving behind.
Light Up Ocala 2018
November 18, 2018 12:37 - 19 minutes - 44 MBIn this bonus episode of Storybook Railroad, we showcase the event that kicks off the holiday season in Ocala, Florida. It is called "Light Up Ocala." 2018 marked the 35th anniversary of this annual downtown party. In this podcast you'll hear us talk about some of the places we visited during that event including the pinnacle of the event which is when city officials lead a count-down and the lights are switched on for the season. We also took a walk down to Tuscawilla Park to see the skatin...
Powerhouse Gym
November 16, 2018 01:41 - 15 minutes - 21.7 MBA popular television physical fitness program has come to Randy and Max's elementary school. The children are all very excited about the program and about meeting the stars of the show, Galaxy and Jade. Randy is especially excited because he loves everything about sports and physical challenges. Max doesn't feel quite as excited as his friend because he is more interested in art. But when Galaxy has a heartfelt talk with Max about embracing his special talents, Max feels the much needed sens...
Ocali Country Days
November 11, 2018 00:39 - 19 minutes - 26.5 MBOn this bonus episode we take a field trip to the Silver Springs State Park for a very popular event called Ocali Country Days. We spoke to several guests including author and boat Captain Connie Mann, and National Geographic Photographer Mark Emery. In this podcast we also speak to several participants in Ocali Days who taught us a lot about life in the 1800s, the importance of protecting the environment, and even heard a cannon.
Sal's Secret Spice Rack
November 09, 2018 00:04 - 14 minutes - 19.8 MBWhen Sal and his son, Anthony, discover that they have no more of Grandpa's secret pizza spices, they decide to create their own recipe. As they experiment with the ingredients Sal tells Anthony that the family has been hounding him to create a franchise of his restaurant. He explains, however, that he really would prefer to live a simpler life and just have the one restaurant. In the process Sal teaches Anthony more than the secret recipe to a great pizza, he teaches him the recipe to a hap...
The Flutterby World
November 02, 2018 00:56 - 16 minutes - 22.6 MBA young girl named Amy lives in a rural home with her family. She loves the country life but is also intrigued by the city. So whenever her mother has to go downtown she rides along. Impressed by the large buildings and the hustle and bustle of the busy streets her visits into the city with her mother are always an adventure. But the one thing that concerns Amy is that all the people seem to be in such a hurry and, in the end, she is happy that her family lives in the country. Written by Rob...
Giraffes In The Park
October 26, 2018 00:13 - 19 minutes - 27.2 MBMr. Grimm loves playing his tuba for the giraffes at the zoo. He is a volunteer at the zoo and one day, after playing his tuba, he discovers that someone has stolen it. Mr. Grimm learns that it is being used by the zoo superintendent to get an elephant into a truck. But he is not very nice about it and Mr. Grimm becomes very angry. Written by Larry Whitler, this was first broadcast in the early 1990s on the Robin And The Giant radio show and is published in the book "The Gift Of The Barking ...
The Florida Bat Festival
October 21, 2018 02:05 - 14 minutes - 19.3 MBThis is a bonus podcast. Instead of a story, today we visit the Lubee Bat Conservancy in Gainesville, Florida. It was the day of the Florida Bat Festival and it was a fun event to attend. There were, of course, BATS!! Lots and lots of bats! Big bats, small bats, bats that eat bugs, bats that eat fruit, and lots of information about how bats live. In this podcast we spoke to Brian Pope, the Director of the Lubee Bat Conservancy, as well as Tracy Pope, Mary Smith, and Amanda Ramage. Note: We a...
The Fantasy Of The Mind
October 20, 2018 01:47 - 17 minutes - 23.4 MBA girl and a boy, named Millicent and Daniel, spend the day at the beach and let their imaginations take them away to an adventure on the seas with a ship of pirates. The vivid images the children envision in their minds make the imagined experience feel very real until Millicent's mother and Daniel's brother break them from their fantasy. This story is written by Robin MacBlane and was first featured on the old Robin And The Giant radio program in the early 1990s. Since then it has been in ...
Robin And The Giant Halloween Special
October 13, 2018 19:13 - 21 minutes - 24.8 MBWe originally recorded our Halloween Special in the summer of 2007. For that special we wrote and produced stories and songs and, of course, our signature dialogue. In this podcast we feature three of the stories and songs from our Halloween collection titled, "It's Only Pretend." In addition to simply wanting a fun recording we also wanted to show our young listeners that the scary stuff on Halloween is only pretend.
Amateur Gardener
October 11, 2018 19:53 - 15 minutes - 17.9 MBA king is very protective about the role he plays in his kingdom and refuses to let anyone learn his skills. But when he learns of his brother's illness, and is reminded of his own mortality, the king becomes very stressed. After falling asleep, the king dreams that he is an amateur gardener who is being unfairly reprimanded by his elders for his inexperience. From this the king learns the importance of giving young people a chance to learn life skills. This story, written by Larry Whitler, ...
Aunt Tilda And Me
October 05, 2018 00:04 - 14 minutes - 20 MBTwin boys learn about their grandfather's childhood and discover that time is precious and life is short. This story has a melancholy element that serves to underscore the message. Written by Robin MacBlane, "Aunt Tilda And Me" first appeared on the Robin And The Giant radio program in the early 1990s and can be found in printed form in the book titled, "The Gift Of The Barking Frog."
Gainesville Community Band Concert and Interview with James Peronto
October 01, 2018 09:20 - 21 minutes - 24.1 MBThis is a bonus podcast on Storybook Railroad that features our visit to Santa Fe College in Gainesville, Florida to listen to a concert by the Gainesville Community Band. Joining us is Robin's mother, Beverly. Our special guest is Robin's brother, James Peronto, who is the percussionist in the band. The concert title is The Charles Dean and William Dishman Memorial Trumpet Concert. The conductor is R. Gary Langford. We hope you enjoy this special podcast which features an interview with...
Space Taxi Steven
September 28, 2018 00:10 - 12 minutes - 17.1 MBA young boy named Steven imagines that when he grows up he will fly space-taxis taking passengers to the moon and back. His father, however, thinks it would be better if he would have more realistic and down-to-earth dreams for his future. But when Steven takes a bite of an apple and imagines that his apple wants to cry he cleverly illustrates for his father that all great changes began in somebody's imagination.
To Want Is Not To Need
September 22, 2018 16:53 - 9 minutes - 12.5 MBA young girl named Andrea, out shopping with her mother, sees another young girl behaving poorly when she is told she can't have a stuffed toy animal that she wants. The resulting conversation between Andrea and her mother helps Andrea learn the difference between wanting something and needing something. This story is written by Robin MacBlane and first appeared on the Robin And The Giant radio show in the early 1990s. The written version of this story also appears in the book "The Gift Of T...
Our Visit To Walt Disney World
September 17, 2018 09:22 - 23 minutes - 26.3 MBIn this bonus episode of Storybook Railroad, we take a field trip and visit Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. We visited the park called "The Magic Kingdom" and then the area called "Disney Springs." In addition to some of the attractions at the park we also talk a bit about our memories of visits from years ago, especially when our own children were very young. Plus, we sample soda from around the world.
Socrates Junior
September 06, 2018 01:42 - 21 minutes - 29.3 MBA young boy with a very vivid imagination takes his bicycle for a ride to the park and imagines he is on a heroic mission to save a family trapped from the ruins of a bombing during World War II. In the process he makes some very philosophical observations about life. This story was written by Larry Whitler for the Robin And The Giant radio show in the early 1990s and appears in the book, "The Gift Of The Barking Frog."
Angelina
August 30, 2018 23:59 - 14 minutes - 19.9 MBA young girl named Angelina looks enviously at the bigger and more expensive homes on the other side of a concrete wall in her neighborhood and she wishes she had been born into a family with more money. Then, while swinging on the swings in the public playground, she falls and hits her head. Upon awakening, she realizes that she is a rich girl. Or is it just a dream? "Angelina" is written by Robin MacBlane and first appeared on the Robin And The Giant radio program in the early 1990s. The...
The Kite Tail Wish
August 24, 2018 00:37 - 10 minutes - 14.3 MBRobin And The Giant had heard an old legend that claimed a wish would come true if it was written on the tail of a kite and that kite was flown high into the clouds. Robin wished she had a dog and so Robin and The Giant wrote Robin's wish on the tail of a pink paisley kite and brought it to the park to fly it. But there isn't much wind and it looks like the wish for a dog won't come true. Or will it?
St. John's Rivership Cruise
August 19, 2018 00:43 - 13 minutes - 18.2 MBIn this bonus episode of Storybook Railroad, we take a cruise on the St. John's River in Florida aboard a paddleboat from the St. John's Rivership. Robin's mother, Beverly, joined us for this adventure. The trip was about three hours long and included lunch and a snack. This was a wonderful experience! We hope you enjoy our podcast as much as we enjoyed our cruise!
The Totally Informed Man
August 17, 2018 01:08 - 13 minutes - 17.9 MBIn "The Totally Informed Man," two fourth graders, Sally and Trudeaux, have a class assignment to do research on Cleopatra's secrets. But when they exhaust all their resources, the two friends have an idea to go ask the only man they know knows everything: "The Totally Informed Man." This story is written by Larry Whitler and originally appeared on the Robin And The Giant Radio Show in the early 1990s. It is found in the book "The Gift Of The Barking Frog" by Robin MacBlane and Larry Whitler...
The Kingdom Of The Read King
August 10, 2018 23:18 - 20 minutes - 27.5 MBA wise king travels the world to show people how to live and work together by sharing their gifts and talents. This story underscores the importance of reading. It is written by Robin MacBlane and appears in the book, "The Gift Of The Barking Frog."