The Independent scored an exclusive interview Thursday with none other than the Very Hungry Caterpillar.
The VHP, known to children and parents worldwide thanks to the eponymous picture book by Eric Carle, toured downtown streets as part of the mayor’s annual Halloween parade. The theme this year was reading. Children from schools across the city came to the Green dressed up to match their favorite books.
As always, it seems these days, the Very Hungry Caterpillar was on kids’ minds. (Click here to read about an ealier visit the bug made to Truman School, speaking Spanish.) The three first-grade classes at Celentano Museum Academy joined forces to hoist the VHP, in its various stages, from the Green, through Chapel Street, up High, and down Elm back to the Green. Kimberly Boyd’s class was in the lead, protecting a multi-part oak-tag-and-pipe-cleaner caterpillar from an uncooperative wind.
“We like to eat cake and lollipops,” revealed the caterpillar’s front end, in the person of first-grader Jalysa Jackson. As readers know, the VHP is one hungry critter. Despite its small size, it devours not just chocolate cake and lollipops, but salami, cupcakes, watermelon, and cheese, among other delights, in a single sitting, before slipping into a cocoon and emerging a butterfly.
Rasha Reeves’ favorite is cheese. Swiss cheese, to be precise. When she and others in Heather Dulka’s class received placards of the caterpillar’s favorite foods, though, Rashae received a watermelon slice. She seemed content enough.
Michelle Perez (pictured in front) chose to march in the parade dressed as her favorite spider, Charlotte, heroine of E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web. Michelle likes how nice Charlotte is to other creatures in the book, such as Wilbur the pig. “The goose was very funny,” Michelle added. “When [Charlotte] asked how to spell ‘Terrific,’ he said, ‘T … double E… double R… double I…’” At that, Michelle and her classmates danced to double letters all the way down to C.
Meanwhile, Police Chief Francisco Ortiz issued tips to the public to make Halloween safe at its official witching hour next Monday:
Chief Ortiz has the following recommendations for a safe Halloween:
“‚Ä¢ Wear light-colored clothing that’s short enough to prevent tripping and add reflective tape to the sides, front and back of your costume.
“‚Ä¢ Make sure children can see well through face masks or use cosmetics to create funny or scary faces.
“‚Ä¢ Adults should accompany young children.
“‚Ä¢ Go out in daylight and carry a flashlight while out after dusk.
“‚Ä¢ Stay within the neighborhood and only visit homes you know.
“‚Ä¢ Give and accept only wrapped or packaged candy.
“‚Ä¢ Examine all candy before allowing children to eat it.”
The last holds true even for parents of Very Hungry Caterpillars.