Lee’s Summit, Cass kids can tune in to walk in ‘Winter Wonderlaughs’

Take a pinch of cartooning, a handful of science and a generous helping of giggles, and you’ve got the recipe for Winter Wonderlaughs. The “edutainment” program will air on the Mid-Continent Public Library’s MCPL360 Facebook page Dec. 4.

Will Stuck was a librarian in St. Joseph for 24 years before becoming a fulltime presenter, so he knows a thing or two about keeping kids engaged at a library program.

“The educational part came first. It’s like, ‘How can I present this in a way that the kids are going to find it fun?’ I don’t want to say I’m tricking them into learning stuff,” Stuck said. “While I do occasionally do a fluff show where I’m intentionally being silly and trying to get laughs out of everybody, there’s almost always something I tie it back into, whether I intend to or not.”

The Mid-Continent Public Library, which has two Lee’s Summit branches, has worked with Stuck for nearly two years, and they’ve been charmed by his various programs.

“He’s just hilarious. He’s engaging; he’s a good storyteller. He brings in science into his programs. He’s one of the best presenters I think we have,” said Cheryl Pemberton, community programming specialist for the library.

The mix of education and entertainment is just right for them.

“Will does a really good job of including STEM components in programming. He has that Mary Poppins ability to mix the medicine in with the sugar. People are entertained, but the kids are going to learn some things as well,” said Dylan Little, community programming manager for the library.

Attendees for Winter Wonderlaughs can expect stories about sledding and penguins, as well as an at-home weather experiment they can try themselves. This particular half-hour show is aimed at elementary-aged kids.

Stuck won’t be discussing the holidays in the show because it’s intended to last beyond December. After it airs Dec. 4, the library will make it available on its YouTube channel.

Like many performers, Stuck finds it tough to perform without having his audience there with him.

“It’s lacking that instant feedback. That’s what actually drives me during my shows,” he said. “I like seeing people smile. I like seeing kids laugh. While they’re in my show, they’re maybe not worrying about anything else going on.”

Because he has performed Winter Wonderlaughs many times before, he does have a good idea of what his audience will enjoy. Although normally he performs a 60-minute show, he’s adjusted it for kids’ shorter screen time attention spans.

His favorite part of the show is when he draws a penguin for the kids.

“Normally it’s almost like improv drawing. They can tell me how big wings does this penguin have. Does he have small feet or big feet? So pretty much every show, you can tell it’s a penguin, but it’s totally different for each show,” he said.

Because it’s not possible to do that in a pre-recorded show, the drawing time will be him just demonstrating how to draw a penguin. He’ll also show kids how to do a wind vortex science experiment at home.

“Typically if I’m going to do a science experiment in a recorded show, I try to make sure it’s with stuff kids have around their home,” Stuck said.

Little thinks parents might want to tune in along with their kids.

“He keeps young audiences engaged. He’s also hilarious for adults as well. He just draws in crowds and keeps them engaged regardless of whether you’re a parent or a kid,” Little said.

Winter Wonderlaughs will begin at 4 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 4 on the MCPL360 Facebook page. By Dec. 5, the program should also be available at any time on the Mid-Continent Public Library’s YouTube channel.