2,200 Fans Are Certain About the Appeal of Fred Penner

His fans screamed his name, clapped, sang and danced in the isles: Just about what you’d expect at a weekend Universal Amphitheater concert.

Except that a few of these 2,200 fans cried and fell asleep on dad or mom’s lap; most weren’t old enough to tie their own shoes. And on stage was no rock star, but a children’s singer from Winnipeg named Fred Penner.

Penner, the tall, bearded performer whose show “Fred Penner’s Place” is seen weekdays on the Nickelodian cable channel, was reportedly the first children’s artist at the Amphitheater; his U.S. tour includes such major stops as Wolf Trap Farm Park for the Performing Arts in Virginia and sites in New York.

When Penner and his Cat’s Meow band bounded on stage Saturday, they launched an hour plus of calypso, country, rock and folk rhythms. He offered the relaxed, good-humored style and musical sophistication that characterizes a growing number of children’s artists.

A song of whimsy about “Otto the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hippo” shared the bill with a hot rendition of Louis Prima’s “Sing, Sing, Sing,” tender ballads and traditional fare such as “You Are My Sunshine” and “This Land Is My Land.”

Children and parents clapped, sang along and acted out lyrics. Between songs Penner offered jokes and sight gags dear to a preschooler’s heart: When was the last time you saw a bath towel turned into a plucked, dancing chicken?

Underneath the jokes and songs, however, is the foundation of Penner’s appeal: He likes and respects his young audience and shows it in his manner and quality of performance.