Kids and parents alike were in for a treat as the Juno-award-winning performer Peter Lenton, the star of Peter Puffin's Whale Tales, strummed up a storm in the Stettler Public Library's annex on Friday, Aug. 5.
The musician and children's entertainer, in his bright colourful clothing, used music to educate about the world's environment and nature, often getting the children and their parents involved in the act.
The music was augmented with singing from the audience, percussion instruments, improv music and wildlife costumes that had children laughing while they were learning about whales, conservation and the world around them.
Lenton's work has netted him acclaim over the years, with him winning the children's album of the year in 2012, the 2010 Billboard Magazine World Song Contest, and having numerous nominations and top-five finalist placements in the more than 15 years he's travelled around the nation.
Lenton was a teacher and curriculum specialist in Alberta before he took his education through music act on the road, and while most of his work is geared toward a younger audience, he also writes and sings for adult audiences.
Puffin's show is also very interactive, as he often asks the children in the audience to contribute ideas to the show.
"There's nothing better than asking kids their suggestions and what they think," he said. "If you're reaching their feelings, then you're more likely to engage them in what's going on."
The performance was the latest in the Stettler Public Library's ongoing summer reading program, which not only hosts reading challenges but activities designed to engage the mind and foster learning opportunities.