Storybook Railroad

Broadcasting 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.

The Mouse Who Changed Christmas 08/20/2024

The Mouse Who Changed Christmas This is the story of how a mouse unintentionally changed Christmas. It is spoken by the authors of the children's book of the same name. We hope you enjoy this delightful Christmas story that imagines how a mouse chewed a hole in the bellows of the church organ with the mission of finding a perfect melody for Silent Night. His misunderstanding of where melodies come from led to his unintentional act of causing the organ to malfunction. One thing leads to another afterwards and the story of how Silent NIght became a song is finally told. /episode/index/show/storybookrailroad/id/32661722

Doggy Dog World 05/30/2019

Doggy Dog World Mary 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. /episode/index/show/storybookrailroad/id/9990104

Memories 05/02/2019

Memories Four 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. /episode/index/show/storybookrailroad/id/9618323

The Mystery Of The Missing Birds 04/26/2019

The Mystery Of The Missing Birds Johnathan 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." /episode/index/show/storybookrailroad/id/9537185

Shasta 04/18/2019

Shasta Shannon 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. /episode/index/show/storybookrailroad/id/9442862

A Jelly Jar Mint of Belly Button Lint 04/04/2019

A Jelly Jar Mint of Belly Button Lint Sometimes 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." /episode/index/show/storybookrailroad/id/9272831

Field Trip 03/28/2019

Field Trip Field 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." /episode/index/show/storybookrailroad/id/9173780

Bobby And Fluff Pup 03/21/2019

Bobby And Fluff Pup This 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." /episode/index/show/storybookrailroad/id/9093791

Sadie 03/14/2019

Sadie A 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. 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. Written by Robin MacBlane, this story was first made public on the Robin And The Giant radio program in the early 1990s and is also found in the book "The Gift Of The Barking Frog." /episode/index/show/storybookrailroad/id/9010397

A Dancer Dances 03/01/2019

A Dancer Dances Mary 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, the story originally appeared on the Robin And The Giant radio show and is in the book "The Gift Of The Barking Frog." /episode/index/show/storybookrailroad/id/8830181

The Tales Of The Rail 01/24/2019

The Tales Of The Rail When 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 early 1990s. /episode/index/show/storybookrailroad/id/8383418

The Scariest Spell Of Pajama Top Hill 01/16/2019

The Scariest Spell Of Pajama Top Hill Joe Gurney lived a long and lonely life in the days when everybody was scurrying in the wild west to find gold. But Joe 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 early 1990s. /episode/index/show/storybookrailroad/id/8285069

The Historical Adventure 01/11/2019

The Historical Adventure Two 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. /episode/index/show/storybookrailroad/id/8215157

Gibsonton Circus 01/06/2019

Gibsonton Circus In this Field Trip episode 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 of the tent and seating volunteered their time and talents to bring this circus to the people. Special thanks to Beverly, Shannon, Gabby, and, of course, James Peronto, who is the drummer in the band. /episode/index/show/storybookrailroad/id/8150024

The Dog With The Unbelievable Tale 01/04/2019

The Dog With The Unbelievable Tale A 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 broadcast. /episode/index/show/storybookrailroad/id/8130023

The Star Gazers 12/30/2018

The Star Gazers Nine 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. /episode/index/show/storybookrailroad/id/8076971

Effortless Flight 12/21/2018

Effortless Flight Fourth 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. /episode/index/show/storybookrailroad/id/7999490

The Magic Of The Clowns 12/14/2018

The Magic Of The Clowns A 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." /episode/index/show/storybookrailroad/id/7915463

La-La-Land 12/07/2018

La-La-Land Mrs. Christopher's 3rd Grade Class was going on a field trip to La-La-Land and it was young Evan's first time going there. Evan's mother told him it would be fun and educational. But the lessons he learned were from his classmates. One was a know-it-all, another spoke condescendingly about everything, and another was only interested in how expensive the souvenirs were. Written by Larry Whitler, this story first appeared on the Robin And The Giant Radio Show in the early 1990s. /episode/index/show/storybookrailroad/id/7831976

School Lunch Vs. Lunch From Home 11/30/2018

School Lunch Vs. Lunch From Home As 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." /episode/index/show/storybookrailroad/id/7738604

Wonder Sounds 11/23/2018

Wonder Sounds Eric 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. /episode/index/show/storybookrailroad/id/7661483

Light Up Ocala 2018 11/18/2018

Light Up Ocala 2018 In this bonus episode of Storybook Railroad, we showcase the event that kicks off the holiday season in Ocala, Florida 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 met two musicians, Ted and Lulu, playing guitars and singing. /episode/index/show/storybookrailroad/id/7601168

Powerhouse Gym 11/16/2018

Powerhouse Gym A popular physical fitness program has come to Randy and Max's elementary school. The children are 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. 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 sense of acceptance he had been longing for. /episode/index/show/storybookrailroad/id/7581242

Ocali Country Days 11/11/2018

Ocali Country Days On 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. /episode/index/show/storybookrailroad/id/7512689

Sal's Secret Spice Rack 11/09/2018

Sal's Secret Spice Rack When 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 happy life. /episode/index/show/storybookrailroad/id/7494836

The Flutterby World 11/02/2018

The Flutterby World A young girl named Amy loves her country life but is also intrigued by the city. So when her mother has to go downtown she rides along. Impressed by the large buildings and the busy streets her visits to the city are always an adventure. The thing that concerns Amy is that all the people seem to be in a hurry and, in the end, she is happy that her family lives in the country. Written by Robin MacBlane, this story first appeared on the Robin And The Giant radio show in the early 1990s. /episode/index/show/storybookrailroad/id/7406789

Giraffes In The Park 10/26/2018

Giraffes In The Park Mr. 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 Frog." /episode/index/show/storybookrailroad/id/7320950

The Florida Bat Festival 10/21/2018

The Florida Bat Festival Instead of a story, today we visit the Lubee Bat Conservancy in Gainesville, Florida for the Florida Bat Festival. 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 also spoke to a young lady dressed as a mermaid but, somehow, that recording was lost.. /episode/index/show/storybookrailroad/id/7254890

The Fantasy Of The Mind 10/20/2018

The Fantasy Of The Mind A 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 images the children envision make the 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 the book, "The Gift Of The Barking Frog." /episode/index/show/storybookrailroad/id/7249673

Robin And The Giant Halloween Special 10/13/2018

Robin And The Giant Halloween Special We 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. /episode/index/show/storybookrailroad/id/7172909

Storybook Railroad

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