Bono: A New Catholic Podcast for Children

Kathryn Swegart reviews a new Catholic podcast featuring age-appropriate Bible stories for preschoolers.

Back in the days when my children were young, they delighted in listening to radio dramas like Adventures in Odyssey and books on tape (that is, cassette tapes). You may have to look up that old school device! I remember my 5-year-old daughter listening to Meryl Streep reading The Velveteen Rabbit. Over time, my daughter was able to read the book aloud using a British accent.

Podcasts for Children

In the last few years there has been a surge in podcasts for children, partly through parental efforts to reduce screen time. In a sense, they have roots in the audio stories my kids listened to many years ago. You might say there is nothing new under the sun.

Among podcasts for kids is a dizzying array of choices for parents eager to find wholesome entertainment for their little ones., without screen time. Choices range from movie star Julie Andrews reading Little Stories for Tiny People to Calm Kids Sleeping Stories on the Calm app. Podcasts with Christian content also offer a bounty of selections, such as Kathy’s Kids Storytime and Backseat Nuggets for Families on the Go.

The Bono Podcast

Enter Dr. Kaitlyn Kulda, developmental psychologist and mother of two young children with another on the way. She is the creator of Bono, a new podcast for young children. It is a biweekly podcast that follows a little dog named Bono who just happens to follow Jesus on a trail of miracles. Taken directly from the Bible, we join Bono as witnesses of many key moments in the Gospels. As of this printing, she has created seven episodes, all approximately five minutes long. Here is a sample: Bono, the Good Boy, Bono and the Wedding, Bono and the Tax Collector, and several other miracles.

Kaitlyn reads the stories with an expressive and cheerful voice. She also includes sound effects that draw young listeners into the dramas. Children will hear Bono barking, as well as crowd noises, heartbeats, footsteps, and a flute that provides mournful music on the death of a child.

How did Kaitlyn get the idea for her podcast?

“I thought of Bono right after finishing my dissertation. I was up at 2 AM nursing and usually I would be writing my dissertation in my head as I nursed. I thought of other things I could think of now that I graduated and Bono was born! I wondered why there were no character driven stories like the Little Blue Truck or Curious George, but Catholic. Bono is designed to fill that lovable character gap while introducing children to Christ in an age-appropriate way.”

Picture books often use rhymes, and Kaitlyn bravely took the plunge. Her rhymes never seemed forced and flow nicely with the story.

Why was it important to feature a friendly little dog?

“Kids love dogs! Somehow Bono has been Bono since the moment I thought of the story — before I knew Bono meant 'good.' I think the name is a bit of a God wink, if Jesus did have a dog, then he certainly would have a good boy like Bono!”

Where can my family and I listen to this podcast?

Bono is available free on these platforms: Fio, Apple, and Spotify.

I do recommend this podcast. It is a polished first-time effort and bound to appeal to children as young as three. Most podcasts on the internet are for older children. Bono episodes are short, and thus match the short attention span of toddlers.

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Copyright 2026 Kathryn Swegart
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