A jungle in there

Mike Sciacca

Loud “oohs” and “ahs” of rambunctious children, who packed the Tabby

Storytime Theater at Huntington Beach Central Library, rousted

Georgie from a deep sleep.

Cradled securely into the right shoulder of handler Kiki Barclay,

Georgie, a North American opossum, looked wide-eyed into the crowd

before him, appearing somewhat startled from the ruckus that woke him

from his slumber.

“He’s a marsupial and he sleeps during the day,” said Barclay, a

wildlife educator with the Wildlife Company. “When he was born, he

was the size of a single Rice Crispy. He doesn’t run away and he

doesn’t fight. He has 52 razor-sharp teeth, more than any other

animal on land.”

After those facts were presented and Georgie had his moment in the

spotlight, Barclay encouraged the children to whisper, “Good night,

Georgie,” and they did.

Georgie was one of six animals native to North America that

Barclay brought to the theater for the one-day event that offered two

shows at the theater. The presentation was part of the Children’s

Library Summer Reading Program, “Ride a Wild Tale.”

“We present something like this every summer,” children’s

librarian Janet Judson said of the event sponsored by the Friends of

the Children’s Library. “We had 133 fill the theater for the first

show and 150 for the second. The only day the tickets went on sale in

July, they sold out. It was a great success.”

The purpose of the presentation was to allow children an

opportunity to explore the diversity of American wildlife up close

and personal, Barclay said.

Presenting facts to the children in an easygoing and

easy-to-understand manner, Barclay took the children on a trip across

many habitats, from the deserts of California to the forests,

prairies and swamplands of this country.

Joining Georgie center stage was Daytona, a baby alligator; Patty,

the prairie dog; Rosie, a rose-hair tarantula; Maple Syrup, a

California desert turtle; and Elvis, a California mountain .

Through its animal ambassadors, such as Barclay, the Wildlife

Company promotes the protection of the world’s ecosystems, while

presenting to children ideas and knowledge that can be used to make a

difference in the future of the planet and its animals.

“Our goal is to spark an interest in the children and help them

develop a passion for wildlife,” she said. “We want to reach them

through these live shows and have them at least remember some key

facts.”

Linda Krishna brought her children, Danielle, 6, and Paul, 4, to

the afternoon show.

“I thought it was really special and it turned out to be a great

show,” Krishna said. “The types of animals they brought, these

children don’t get to see too much, and I think this created a great

chance for the children to learn some important facts about these

animals.”

Although she liked all six of the animals, Danielle said Patty,

the prairie dog, was her favorite.

“I liked her best,” Danielle said. “She was so cute. I’d like to

have one. I had fun seeing all the neat animals.”

At the conclusion of the show, Barclay allowed the children to pet

Maple Syrup, the California desert turtle, as they filed out of the

theater.

“This hands-on approach, hopefully, will create interest in

animals for these children,” Barclay said. “I had a good time coming

here and bringing these animals, and I think these children had a lot

of fun, too.”

* MIKE SCIACCA covers sports and features. He can be reached at

(714) 965-7171 or by e-mail at michael.sciacca@latimes.com.