Sugar Cane: A Caribbean Rapunzel

1. Bibliography

Storace, Patricia. Sugar Cane: A Caribbean Rapunzel. New York: Hyperion Books for Children, 2007. ISBN 0786807911

2. Plot Summary

The story begins when the mother and father discover that they are pregnant. Soon, the mother develops an insatiable craving for sugarcane. The father sets out on the long journey to find sugarcane and instead steals some from Madame Fate. As punishment, Madame Fate takes their daughter, Sugar Cane, on her first birthday. Sugar Cane grows up in an isolated tower, with only Madame Fate and spirit-teachers as company, her hair growing and growing. But one day, she meets King by chance and they bond and fall in love over their shared love of music. When Madame Fate discovers that she has met King, she chops off Sugar Cane's hair and declares that she will never leave the tower. Sugar Cane manages to escape and months later, she finds King again and they marry and live happily ever after. 

3. Critical Analysis

Right away, the story grabs you with its colorful illustrations and promise of a great story. The reader follows the story of the mother and father as they excitedly await the arrival of their first child. There are ups and downs between the mother and father as the father worries about finding sugarcane for his wife and unborn child. The reader can feel his desperation as he steals the sugarcane from Madame Fate, but he feels relief when his wife is satisfied. The emotions that are evoked as Madame Fate takes Sugar Cane from her parents are strong and can be felt through the text and illustrations as well. This story takes you on an emotional rollercoaster and those emotions come through loud and clear. 

The illustrations are vibrant and colorful and mirror the emotions that the text evokes. They depict the mother and father's anguish at losing their child and they depict the joy on Sugar Cane and King's faces when they find each other again. Some illustrations are highlighted by their size, emphasizing their importance. Some pages contain two to three small illustrations, while one illustration takes up two whole pages. With this, you can feel the emotions that Sugar Cane experiences right along with her as she goes through her journey towards love and freedom. 

4. Review Excerpts

2008 Essence Award Nominee
From School Library Journal: "This lovely book begs to be read aloud." 
From Booklist: "Storace writes with a poet's command of rhythm, sound, and imagery." 

5. Connections

Gather other Essence Award books to read such as:

• Levine, Ellen. Henry's Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad. ISBN 0439777339
• Okorafor, Nnedi. The Shadow Speaker. ISBN 1423100331

Gather other books illustrated by Raúl Colón such as: 

• Draw! ISBN 1442494923
• Imagine! ISBN 1481462730

Use for a multicultural lesson in literature.

Use for a class about folklore and superstition.