★ “Moving and bittersweet…Discusses the reality of slavery and the racial violence and prejudice formerly enslaved individuals experienced.” — Booklist, starred review
In 1841, a 12-year-old enslaved boy, Edmond Albius, made history when he discovered how to hand-pollinate vanilla plants using a bamboo twig.
Until that time, only bees in Mexico could pollinate the plant—botanists couldn’t figure out another way. With his master, Edmond travelled around Réunion Island to share his technique, le geste d’Edmonde (Edmond’s gesture), which is still in use today. Despite his important achievement, as an enslaved person Edmond didn’t receive payment or recognition for his contribution to science, eventually dying in poverty after being freed from slavery in 1848. Today it is recognized that Edmond’s method of pollination was key to bringing vanilla to the world, helped to create a billion-dollar industry and gave us the flavor we love to use in cooking, baking, medicine and, of course, ice cream.
The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.
Junior Library Guild (JLG) Gold Standard Selection | 2025 | Commended
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“This book packs a great deal of information about Albius, and vanilla, into a well-paced tome. Taylor’s illustrations are a highlight, bathing the text in warm natural hues that embody lush island flora and the richness of the vanilla plant. A thoughtful and attractively illustrated STEM-centric biography of an underrepresented figure in Black history.”
★“Moving and bittersweet…Bright, colourful digital illustrations by Taylor vividly show what island life was like during this time period. The book discusses the reality of slavery and the racial violence and prejudice formerly enslaved individuals experienced. This engaging title includes sidebars and fun facts about vanilla.”