The True Story of Vanilla: How Edmond Albius Made History
Written by Ann Richards
Illustrated by Arden Taylor
Published by Orca Book Publishers
ACTIVITIES
Educator Guide (from Publisher)
BOOK SYNOPSIS
In 1841, a 12-year-old enslaved boy, Edmond Albius, made history when he discovered a method for hand-pollinating 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 essential 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, helping to create a billion-dollar industry and giving us the flavour we love to use in cooking, baking, medicine, and, of course, ice cream.
ANN RICHARDS
Ann Richards is a Jamaican Canadian writer from Brampton, Ontario. She enjoys studying and writing about different cultures and has always wanted to write books about African history. One day she plans to visit Ghana’s Elmina slave castle, and its Door of No Return, to research more stories. Ann has written for the London Free Press and Tekawennake News. The True Story of Vanilla is Ann’s debut book.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Social Media: @storybooksbyannrichards
Email: anniegurlblog@gmail.com
BIBLIOGRAPHY
True Story of Vanilla: How Edmond Albius Made History, 2025
ARDEN TAYLOR
Arden Taylor is a Toronto-based freelance illustrator. A graduate of Sheridan College with an honours bachelor of illustration, she enjoys digitally creating colourful illustrations of architecture and people and designs for wallpaper and other projects. Her clients include Hazlitt Magazine and California Institute of Technology, and her work has been featured in various magazines, newspapers, advertising campaigns, books and websites.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Website: https://www.ardentaylorart.com/
Instagram: @arden.tart
Email: arden.taylor98@gmail.com
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Books
Craigie, Gregor. Walls: The Long History of Human Barriers and Why We Build Them. Illustrated by Arden Taylor, Orca Book Publishers, 12 Mar. 2024.
Sadlier, Rosemary. The Kids Book of Black History in Canada. Illustrated by Arden Taylor, Kids Can Press, 4 June 2024.
Richards, Ann. The True Story of Vanilla: How Edmond Albius Made History. Illustrated by Arden Taylor, Orca Book Publishers, 13 May 2025.
Editorial & Magazine Illustration
Martis, Eternity. “Black in the Jury Box: The Conviction Gap.” West End Phoenix, June–July 2021. Illustrated by Arden Taylor.
Garrett, Leslie. “The Cottage Is for Everybody.” Cottage Life Magazine, Aug.–Sept. 2021. Illustrated by Arden Taylor.
Caltech Effect Instrumental Campaign. California Institute of Technology, Oct. 2021. Illustrated by Arden Taylor. (Website article; URL unavailable.)
Kayak: Canada’s History for Kids. Multiple issues, Jan. 2022–Mar. 2025. Cover and interior illustrations by Arden Taylor.
Hazlitt Magazine. Various online stories, May 2020–Sept. 2023. Illustrated by Arden Taylor.
