Key Selling Points This STEAM title tells the true story of how Edmond Albius, an enslaved 12-year-old boy from Réunion Island, discovered how to hand-pollinate vanilla plants in 1841, leading to the birth of the global vanilla industry. Le geste d'Edmond, or Edmond's technique, is still the only way vanilla is pollinated and produced today. It is one of the most widely used spices around the world and can be used in baking, cooking and medicine, among many other products. This book deals with topics including racism, enslavement, prejudice, the scientific method, discovery and innovation. The book uses extensive primary research, including census information and newspaper articles from the time, to tell Edmond's story. The author is a Jamaican Canadian living in Brampton, Ontario. This is her first book.