The library is supposed to be a quiet place for reading. There was an exception for a children’s dance party Monday morning.

Singing, dancing and laughter could be heard from the children’s section at the Live Oak Public Libraries Hinesville branch as Emmy Award-winning singing duo Jack and Kitty Norton played songs that got kids really moving.

The husband-wife duo from Minnesota performed their music act as part of the Live Oak Public Libraries’ summer reading program, which encourages children to read and stay active during the summer.

Kitty Norton said the purpose of their visit is to get kids excited about coming to the library and learning.

“We’re going to dance, we’re going to talk about books, we’re going to sing a lot of songs and we’re going to try to get them moving and grooving,” she said. “The goal is for kids to have such a fun time and to just be so interactive and to be participating so much they just have positive memories of being at the library.”

Kids from infant to pre-teen gathered in the children’s activity room where they danced like dinosaurs, twirled around like fidget spinners and mooed like cows. The kids helped write a song about what they like to read and performed as back up dancers for Kitty Norton.

Their music is what they call “organic vaudeville folk.”

Jack Norton played the guitar while Kitty Norton played the jug, washboard, spoons and bones.  

“We really try to engage kids as much as possible, so each song has a purpose and reason,” Jack Norton said. “We turn simple folk songs into something engaging.”

The Nortons were the co-creators and co-stars of the preschool television series “The Zinghoppers Show” which aired on PBS stations and earned them six Emmy Award nominations.

The couple is currently on tour and will be filming a brand new television series for preschoolers this winter.