Kevin Menegus Photo Andy Scheck

To the delight of a full house of toddlers, young school kids, and their parents, the Fratello Marionettes Puppet Theater presented The Night Before Chris Mouse/The North Pole Review. Ten separate puppet acts entertained young and old, each with different marionettes and holiday-themed music. From dancing kosak triplets to hula-ing Hawaiian mice to a sultry large black cat batting her eyelashes to "Santa Baby" the evening, presented by the Lafayette Library and Learning Center Foundation, was great fun. Little ones especially enjoyed the acrobatics of teeter-totter penguins.

Performers and puppet builders Kevin Menegus and Fred C. Riley III, explained that it can take up to three months to build their custom marionettes and graciously took questions from the audience after the show.

Look for additional Youth Series programs in the New Year. On January 8, The Lawrence Hall of Science presents Fizz, Pop, Wow!, and on February 12, they'll host a petting zoo of slippery frogs and bumpy toads with information about their life cycle. Go to www.lllcf.org to view the complete calendar. For more information on Fratello Marionettes, go to

www.fratellom.com.