ABOUT

BACKGROUND: Added sugar is in most packaged foods, but it goes by 150+ obscure names, worsening the nutritional knowledge gap in the already disadvantaged black communities and contributing to the obesity epidemic. The Lil Sugar campaign uses rap, storytelling, and gaming to make nutrition literacy fun and turn kids and parents into bona fide sugar experts. The Lil Sugar - Master of Disguise book is a captivating educational tool that helps children discover the hidden dangers of excess sugar consumption. It was produced and printed through a dedicated educational grant and made available through school curriculums in key cities. Digital version was delivered via events like Open Field Day, reaching millions of kids. The biggest challenge of the book was to transform dense health information into something kids wouldn’t reject outright. How can you make something called “glycemic index” exciting? Every illustration in the book was painted with gouache, a substance made with a mixture of powdered pigment suspended in gum arabic and honey, two forms of sugar. Each page is filled with a colorfully detailed background that includes subtle visual elements and pop culture Easter eggs associated with the character’s disguise. The design aesthetic was crafted to be visually accessible to readers of all ages and evoke a sense of whimsical, vibrant fun—just like Lil Sugar himself. The rhymed verses are filled with alliteration for parents and caretakers to recognize and have fun with while educating their children. Excerpt book verses: “Yo-ho-ho, I’m so glad that you’ve come! all aboard to the beat of my drum!” a villainous sailor, with a laugh like thunder, your health is the treasure he’ll pillage and plunder. Pirates! Unsheathe your cutlasses! Make way for your Captain Molasses! Barbecue sauce, is the sea his ship sails, and whoever refuses, shall swim with the whales.