Alisa Stone Dennis – The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Photography By Rick Cooper
Our young sons, Stone and Durham, love to look at picture books. It is an important part of our daily routine and they love to sit in my lap or their Dad’s lap, and cuddle up with books.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle was read to me as a child. I had not thought about the book until Durham’s first Halloween when I dressed him up as a tiny caterpillar. He looked so adorable that caterpillars became the theme of his first birthday party. It is a board book for the very young. It teaches counting and days of the week, perfect for our preschoolers. The book is about a caterpillar born on a leaf on a Sunday. Tiny and hungry, he sets out on Monday to look for food. Each day he eats one type of fruit, but he is still very hungry on Friday. On Saturday, he eats a variety of different food and gives himself a stomachache. The next day, Sunday, he feels much better after eating through a nice green leaf. No longer a little caterpillar, he is now a big fat caterpillar. He builds a cocoon and, after two weeks, emerges as a beautiful butterfly. The funny foods vividly described in Carle’s book and eaten by the hungry caterpillar each day were inspiration for the foods served during Durham’s first birthday party.
The book has been translated into more than 62 languages and has sold more than 52 million copies. It was especially fun to read to our boys because of the holes punched in the pages. They like to stick their little fingers through the holes as we talk about the number of each type of food and the day of each week that the food is eaten. Our boys enjoy the vivid colors and the amusing foods that are eaten as they learn the days of the week. I feel joy when reading to our boys. It is a wonderful end of a busy day. In those moments when your babies are snuggled up in your arms and lap, time stands still. You can be a little silly and make funny inflections. These are the moments you cherish as a parent. I relish in the stillness and these moments.
About Alisa Stone Dennis
I was born and raised in Cumming, Georgia and moved to Panama City Beach in 2003. My husband Don, a Bay County native and attorney, and I are members of the Bay Point Yacht Club and Krewe of Dominque Youx. I am a stay-at-home on-the-go mom, the current Bay Point Women’s Club president, a sustainer in the Junior League, and a past member of the Downtown Rotary. I served on my local, state, and national Boards of Realtors in various positions over the years. I still encounter people who may not know my name, but know me as the “Georgia Peach that Sells the Beach.”
I love to travel, entertain and be on the water. I love peach martinis, golfing, throwing fabulous parties, listen to classical music, country music,
and love discussing politics.