Kids To Do: Lard Dog, Flyers Wives Carnival and 'Maniac Magee's' Jerry Spinelli

World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.
11 a.m. Saturday, $10. 

He's been called "the greasy nugget of world-class children's music," "the dim-witted genius," and "the shyest extrovert" - and it must all be true, since it says so right there on his record Life's a Real Dream. Yep, it's Lard Dog, who is set to play Saturday morning at World Cafe Live.

Through the efforts of artist Steve Erdman, Lard Dog arrived on Earth from the planet Belopio on a giant pretzel, and eventually went into the music biz, with his Band of Shy (including singer Honey Babe, keyboardist Schwington Boogie, bassist B. Happy, guitarist Marcel Bowhaus, with the Lady Wonga on drums, MC Louis Luminous, and Ploop -- just being Ploop, of course).

With songs including "Beeples, No Pie," "Yum Yum Head Gear Co.," and "I Dig Holes," and zany, surreal comedy in the spirit of children's shows such as Yo Gabba Gabba and Beany and Cecil, the cosmic combo present a multimedia show with music equally inspired by Zappa, Devo, and 1950s beatnik bop.

They say, "Slurp the noodle of life." We say, OK!

Wells Fargo Center, 3601 S. Broad St.
1:30 to 6 p.m. Sunday, $35 before 3 p.m.; $20 after 3 p.m.; $15 ages 12 and younger. 

One of the city's best charity events, the 39th Annual Flyers Wives Carnival, features autograph sessions with players from the NHL club and the AHL Phantoms, plus a chance to take a shot on goal, a carousel at center ice, a six-story-high Ferris wheel, games, tours, face painting, and more.

Elmwood Park Zoo, 1661 Harding Blvd., Norristown, Pa.
11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, free with admission.

Jerry Spinelli, the Norristown-born author of kiddie classic Maniac Magee, is the star attraction at the Elmwood Park Zoo's Read Across America event. Spinelli will be joined by 6ABC's Jamie Apody, author Heidi Rader (Chatter in the Caldera: Monkeys of Bioko Island), Brother and Sister Bear (of the Berenstain Bears) and Arthur the aardvark will join in on the fun.