Bear King & Bobo Chico Stories for Kids

Bob Hastings

Bear King & Bobo Chico Stories is an ad-free children’s podcast series narrated by author Bob Hastings. Episodes are about kindness, friendship, and overcoming uncertainty. Bear King is a friendly, knowledgeable talking bear who likes spending time and sharing gifts with his family and young friends. Bobo Chico is a talking river otter who is Bear King’s lovable, highly enthusiastic best friend. While on their adventures, Bear King and Bobo Chico meet many interesting people who help them overcome challenges and learn important, positive life lessons. Each story invites the listener to experience the familiar and also use their imagination. The series is set in the Pacific Northwest, specifically Portland, Oregon, home of the author and his family. Each story was inspired by his children and his grandsons, for whom the stories were originally written. His grand-nieces make appearances in later episodes. Author/Storyteller: Bob Hastings. Producer/Sound Engineer: Scott Whitney of PodWorx, Inc. Program Manager: Vicky Hastings. Musician: Scott Whitney. Artist: Jennifer Reynolds.

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Kids & FamilyKids & Family

Season 2

The Farther Adventure - Bobo Chico's New Friend [S2:E8]
May 15 2023
The Farther Adventure - Bobo Chico's New Friend [S2:E8]
Heading away from Clumenji and the Wizard of the Desert’s wonderful El Castillo Encantado, the four friends merrily follow the pathway toward the Great River of Wonderland. They paddle down the river in a Dragon Boat, enter a great canyon, and marvel at its rugged beauty. After an exciting journey through the rapids, they take a midday break. The brothers and Bear King enjoy a well-deserved nap, but Bobo Chico is too curious to sleep and goes in search of food. While picking some fruit, he’s startled and scared by a curious coyote and he twists his ankle. However, Bobo Chico learns that the coyote is also scared of his shadow. In spite of his own injury, Bobo Chico naturally wants to help the coyote. And when the coyote sees that Bobo Chico is friendly and hurt, he introduces himself as ‘Kyle’. Bobo Chico can help Kyle overcome his fear, but he’s going to need help getting back to the Dragon Boat. Kyle races to the boat and convinces Bear King to come and help Bobo Chico.  Bobo Chico, in turn, asks Bear King to help Kyle with his problem, which he does by making up a song about self-awareness and friendship. As the full moon comes up over the hills, they all hear the howls of coyotes and see a solitary figure framed by the moonlight. Kyle is now one of the pack amongst his friends.Thank you for listening! If you like what you heard, please consider subscribing to the podcast series and providing a review. You can follow us on Instagram as @bearkingandbobochico.Special thanks to our producer, Scott Whitney of PodWorx.
The Farther Adventure - Loar Gets into a Pickle [S2:E9]
May 22 2023
The Farther Adventure - Loar Gets into a Pickle [S2:E9]
The four friends in the Dragon Boat finish their water travel when they arrive at the dock with the ‘Farther Adventures Await’ sign.  After a brief lunch, they continue their journey back on the pathway. All use mountain bikes, but Bobo Chico sprints ahead with Loar closely following him. Bobo Chico inspires young Loar with a song about being an adventurous, daring, daredevil. At the summit, Bobo Chico chooses to go ‘off road’, and Loar is conflicted about whether to follow him.  When he does, he quickly gets in serious trouble. As Bobo Chico is about to change his direction and get back on the path, Loar comes flying by on his mountain bike…out of control! He miraculously is caught by a tree branch, but in grave danger of falling into the canyon and river below. A crow sees the danger and flies off to find Bear King, Roen and Bear King arrive to the scene. Bear King asks a ‘riot of crows’ to lift Loar out of danger and carry him to  Treemania. Roen leads the way to Treemania with its unique and beautiful treehouses. They enjoy dinner and Loar tells Bobo Chico he only wants to eat pickles, not get into a ‘pickle’ of danger. Bear King and the crows erupt in laughter!Thank you for listening! If you like what you heard, please consider subscribing to the podcast series and providing a review. You can follow us on Instagram as @bearkingandbobochico.Special thanks to our producer, Scott Whitney of PodWorx.
The Farther Adventure - Saving Bear King [S2:E10]
May 29 2023
The Farther Adventure - Saving Bear King [S2:E10]
After a couple of days rest in Treemania, the four friends are ready for the next leg of their journey. Bobo Chico’s ankle is much better and they’re eager to get back onto the pathway, riding on electric scooters. They journey through meadows of colorful orange poppies and Loar begins a song about his favorite things with Roen joining him.  They come to a large lake, with a sailboat ready to carry them across.  Their destination is the Ponderosa Lodge, on the other side of the lake. Bear King assumes the role of ‘skipper,’ even though Bobo Chico is the more experienced sailor, and they sail off across the lake. But when the wind grows too strong, Roen asks Bobo Chico if it’s getting dangerous.  Bobo Chico loyally says, “Bear King is the captain of the ship, and we must obey his orders!”  Loar spies some large rocks downwind and tries to alert Bear King.  But Bear King is distracted. Loar calls out to Bobo Chico for help, but Bobo Chico is too conflicted about correcting his best friend.  At the crucial moment, Loar yells at the top of his lungs, “BEAR KING!” which immediately gets Bear King’s attention. Disaster is averted and the boat tacks away from danger. Later that night, as they’re enjoying hot cocoa by the roaring fire inside the lodge, Bear King toasts brave Loar and gives him a big hug!  Bobo Chico breaks into a sailing song about facing high winds, crashing waves, and brave sailors. Thank you for listening! If you like what you heard, please consider subscribing to the podcast series and providing a review. You can follow us on Instagram as @bearkingandbobochico.Special thanks to our producer, Scott Whitney of PodWorx.
The Farther Adventure - Spinning Yarns and Webs [S2:E11]
Jun 5 2023
The Farther Adventure - Spinning Yarns and Webs [S2:E11]
Cart Benright warns Bear King that they’ll be heading into a region that was used by pirates. He’s concerned about a possible dangerous portion of the pathway known as the pirate bridge.  Loar and Roen are both excited and nervous to go into ‘pirate country’ and are hoping they might find treasure.  Bear King tries to calm their fears by saying nobody would dare mess with a ‘tried and true’, brave warrior!  Bobo Chico is relieved to hear Bear King’s expression of bravery and courage but wonders if he’s relying too much on his past glories. Bear King leads them down the mountain while singing a song of past battles fought and won (over bees and jars of honey).  When they come to the pirate bridge, he urges the others to wait while he inspects the bridge.  At the mid-span, the ancient wood boards and rusty cables cannot withstand his bountiful weight, and they start to groan, creak, and crack.  Bobo Chico quickly realizes the King of Bears is facing a great peril, and looking frantically around notices a large spider.  He strikes up a conversation with ‘Darwin’, the Bark Spider, and learns that he was rebuffed from fixing the bridge years ago by the pirates.  Roen has a brainstorm and strikes a deal with Darwin.  With Darwin’s help the bridge is fixed and Bear King is saved from certain death.  Darwin leads the group to the pirate’s treasure chest, but they cannot read the pirate map. But it's Loar and Roen who realize that the treasure map was written backwards!  With this new information, they learn they can find their way back home! They celebrate by singing a pirate song.Thank you for listening! If you like what you heard, please consider subscribing to the podcast series and providing a review. You can follow us on Instagram as @bearkingandbobochico.Special thanks to our producer, Scott Whitney of PodWorx.
The Farther Adventure - Loar and Roen's Big Idea [S2:E12]
Jun 12 2023
The Farther Adventure - Loar and Roen's Big Idea [S2:E12]
Previously, the Pirate Map revealed the secret passageway back to home, friends and family.  Excited to return, Bobo Chico sings a song “When I Get Home” about all the little things he’s going to enjoy. The pathway leads to the Great River of Wonderland. On the far shore, they see the door guarding the tunnel through the mountain. That's the way to the ‘other world’ that keeps Wonderland safe from the ‘others’. The four friends must get across the rushing river. But when Bear King urges them to join him on a large log, Bobo Chico isn’t convinced that strategy will work. He turns to Loar and Roen for advice. The brothers scour the area and Roen finds a Chock-full o'Nuts coffee can perched on a pedestal! Puzzled, he gives it a little shake. A swirling cloud reveals Rufus Goofus, Wizard 2nd Class who is eager to meet Bear King because the King of Bears has magical powers. But when Bear King explains that his powers are greatly limited in Wonderland, Rufus Goofus becomes determined to help with half-baked ideas. Disheartened, Bear King and Bobo Chico turn to Loar and Roen.  Loar has a brainstorm, remembering the big swing set back home at the Mt. Tabor playground in SE Portland.  With Rufus Goofus’s help, they make a rope swing to carry them one-by-one across the river. When they all safely reach the other side of the river, they wave goodbye to Rufus Goofus (now Wizard 1st Class). Bear King turns to Loar and Roen. “Sometimes the greatest magic happens between your ears!”  Bobo Chico looks on in amazement and asks, “Huh? What’s between your ears Bear King?” Smiling at his young otter friend, he says one word. "Imagination!”Thank you for listening! If you like what you heard, please consider subscribing to the podcast series and providing a review. You can follow us on Instagram as @bearkingandbobochico.Special thanks to our producer, Scott Whitney of PodWorx.

Season 1