Jay Leno

Jay Leno is on special assignment for The Oprah Winfrey Show. He's here to reveal the most talented, smart, and hilarious people he thinks we should know—and they're all kids! Jay may have all the Hollywood bigwigs on his couch for The Tonight Show, but he says these young stars are his true favorites.

Jay's love for funny kids is evident in his new book, How to be the Funniest Kid in the Whole Wide World (Or Just in Your Class).

After an open-mic comedy audition at Chicago's famed Second City, three jokesters make the final cut. Dante, Giovanni and Georgia head to Zanies, a comedy club where Jay got his start more than 20 years ago. Jay is there to teach the kids everything he knows.

Lesson number one: Loosen up your funny bones. "Jump up and down and act crazy. It helps you get ready," Jay tells the kids. Lesson number two: It's all in the delivery. "Look around, smile at the people." Lesson number three: Work your body but don't fidget. "[Don't] look like you have to go to the bathroom!"
Dante, Georgia and Giovanni

Dante, Georgia and Giovanni take the stage and each performs a joke for the Oprah Show audience:

Dante: Why do elephants go swimming? To get their trunks wet!

Georgia: How do female ghosts dance? They shake their boo-ty!

Giovanni: What's the most popular restaurant in the North Pole? Burr-ger King!

Dante, a man of many talents, follows up his joke with a few dance moves.

Marc plays Mozart

Six-year-old Marc is a piano prodigy who plays with the San Juan Capistrano Symphony, but it's his sense of humor that really impresses Jay. "There were three notes that went to a bar," Marc says, "C, E flat and G. The bartender says, 'Get out of here. We don't serve minors!'

After warming the audience up with a few jokes, Marc shares his other talent—he performs Mozart!
Abby and Oprah

Do you know the nine states that ratified the constitution? How about every word of the Declaration of Independence? Abby does…and she's only 6 years old!

Back in 2003, 4-year-old Abby came on The Oprah Winfrey Show and wowed the audience with her rendition of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. She's also one of Jay's favorite guests—he has invited her on The Tonight Show six times! "She's so cute, and she knows everything. It's hilarious," says Jay.

After sharing her favorite quotes with Oprah and Jay, Abby was anxious to talk politics.

"I was talking to my dad the other day, and I told him since I learned so much about politics, I should join a political party. But my dad said, 'Abby, I think you're too young to join any organized political party.' So I thought about it, and I said, 'How about I join the Democratic Party? They're not very organized.'"

Abby isn't sure the Republican Party is right for her either. "I'm pretty sure I don't want to be a Republican. Nine of our presidents have been shot, and six out of those nine were Republicans. It's not safe to be a Republican," she says.
Reiss, the dinosaur expert

Movies like Jurassic Park may have peaked your interest in the prehistoric, but Reiss has taken his fascination with dinosaurs to a whole new level!

Reiss made headlines after schooling Jay on The Tonight Show when he was in kindergarten! Watch out elementary school spelling bees—when asked to spell the word "micropachycephalosaurus" this dinosaur dynamo got it correct on the first try!

Reiss first became interested in dinosaurs after seeing the cartoon Land Before Time. Now, his knowledge rivals many adult experts. Reiss put his expertise to practical use by participating in two dinosaur digs. To his delight, Reese helped paleontologists unearth a 150 million-year-old dinopsukis tooth! Reiss explains to Oprah and Jay that a dinopsukis is a prehistoric crocodile.

He also brought along a replica of a tyrannosaurus tooth to show Oprah and Jay, and then did his "scary" impersonation of a velociraptor for the audience. Yikes!
Jay Leno, Adanech and Oprah

As a young child, Adanech lived in a hut in Ethiopia with her ailing grandmother. One day, on the way to the market, Adanech was struck by a train. Her right arm was severed, and her right leg was crushed and amputated. Adanech's grandmother was too sick to care for her. That's when Yonus, an aide worker, came to the rescue.

Yonus brought Adanech to Atlanta where she was treated for her injuries and fitted with a prosthetic leg. The Spratlins, friends of Yonus', agreed to take care of the 7-year-old while she was in America. Three months after meeting this special little girl, the Spratlin family fell in love and decided to adopt Adanech with her grandmother's blessing.

Since moving to Georgia with her new family, Adanech has adjusted remarkably well. She has tried out for the school play, won a student council election and swims competitively.

Her inspirational story has touched many people—including Jay. "You know, you inspired me," Jay says. "I still don't know how to dive and after watching you swim, I'm so embarrassed. I'm going to go home and learn how to dive now."