Showing results by narrator "Dan Schoeneberg" in All Categories

Enjoy this collection of origin folktales, also known as pourquoi stories, that explain why things are the way they are. In "Why Alligator Hates Dog", everyone respects M'su Cocodrie, the king of the swamp, except the dogs, who taunt him and make lots of noise.

In the 1600s, a boy from colonial Jamestown named Thomas Savage was traded to the Powhatans in exchange for a boy named Namontack. The English hoped this gift would prove their friendship to Chief Powhatan and allow them to teach Namontack about England. While staying with the tribe, Thomas learned their language and culture, and served as an interpreter between the Native Americans and Europeans.

The story of the skyscraper began more than 3,000 years ago.

Lancelot is a very handsome prince, known throughout the kingdom for his beauty! When he happens upon an old witch and her toad after getting lost in the woods, though, he finds that he can’t always rely on his looks to get him out of his problems.

Martin's brother Lars finds a nisse on his nightly ski trip! He wants to take a picture of it to prove they exist. Martin has to stop his brother so the nisse doesn’t turn to stone! How will Martin be able to save the nisse?

Inside every seed waits a tiny plant, ready to grow. Watch the process of a pumpkin plant from tiny seed to full-size fruit! You'll also see other plant seeds, which come in many different sizes, shapes, and colors. Some can be as big as your head, but poppy seeds are so little you can hold hundreds in one hand!

Flowers may look pretty, but some can be downright deadly! In England, you can explore the Poison Garden—a place where flowers are known for their beauty on the outside and poison on the inside! In this story, you'll be able to learn about and see these flowers safely without interacting with them.

Did you know hot air balloons were dreamed up by a French boy in the 1700s? Joseph Montgolfier devoted his life to experiments that he hoped would allow him to fly. With the help of his little brother, his invention allowed humans to fly for the first time in history!

Learn about how the body processes food by following Joe's pizza lunch—from the plate to his mouth to his stomach and beyond. The nutrients from food are absorbed in the small intestine, which are delivered to rest of the body.

Many immigrants of various cultures have passed through the port city of Philadelphia before they adapted to the New World. William Penn guaranteed religious freedom to newcomers, which brought many persecuted peoples, such as Quakers, Mennonites, and refugees to the area, and that's only a smart part of the story of Philadelphia.

This funny story investigates the mystery of the step pyramid of Djoser in Egypt. But beware: a pharaoh's tomb built in the desert millennia ago can still trap a clumsy explorer! If you were stuck in the dark with scorpions and snakes for company, what would you do?

In the 1870s, grasshoppers known as Rocky Mountain locusts destroyed crops and farms across the Great Plains states, then were never seen again. Where did these bugs come from and where did they go? That's the great grasshopper mystery!

Twins have twice the adventure as they must prove themselves, facing danger and monsters in this cartoon based on a Navajo origin myth. The twins fight for peace, aiming to rid the world of monsters such as poverty and hunger. So why do we still have poverty and hunger?

Tide pools are filled with such amazing creatures! Young children will love looking at beautiful art as they learn about all the different animals that live in these treasure troves.

Did you know that music is all about math? Every good composer knows their scales, along with the repetition, frequencies, and vibration that go into making harmonies and melodies that are pleasing to hear.

A very nasty witch hatches an evil plan to make a pie made of children! Too bad, the child she snatches up is Hector, the naughtiest boy in town. The witch will have her work cut out for her as Hector keeps disrupting her plan! Hector will not go down without a fight!

In this American folk tale, Bo Bandit meets the famous John Henry and begins to work on the C & O Railroad. When a steam drill threatens to replace some of the railroad workers, John challenges the machine to a race through the mountain. Who will win?

Alexander Hamilton and James Madison were supporters of a strong federal government and participated in the Constitutional Convention. Together with John Jay, they wrote The Federalist Papers, one of many activities that led to the adoption of the U.S. Constitution. Learn more about the Alexander Hamilton and the “Father of the Constitution," James Madison.

A young boy takes a plane ride with his mother to visit the African country of Ghana, where his parents are from. This will be his first time seeing his grandparents. He learns about traditional Ghanaian clothing, foods, and the city market in Accra, Ghana's capital.

In the late 1700s, young Louis Braille overcame his disability by inventing "night writing," a system of raised dots to help blind people read. This alphabet of raised dots allowed sightless people to live more independent lives.