The giggling began even before David Gonzalez got to the stage.

The acclaimed storyteller visited Rio Vista Elementary School on Wednesday, bringing to students his “Cuentos: Tales of the Latino World” performance.

It was one of seven or eight scheduled appearances this week at Coachella Valley schools, including about three at Palm Springs schools.

His stories lived up to the program name as Gonzalez took the Rio Vista fourth-graders and teachers to the jungle and mountaintops of his mother's native land, Puerto Rico, the “enchanted Island.”

His characters — a mysterious shaman named Milo Miko, the adventurous “Snake Boy” and others — were brought to life through Gonzalez's animated movements, dancing, singing and poetry.

“The key is in knowing that it's a kind of a privilege to be sharing your art to the innocent mind,” Gonzalez said before the show.

Gonzalez, who visited the school with his pianist Daniel Kelly, were scheduled to perform Thursday at the McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert.