This is the tale of Geigi, a stubborn boy on an island far away who gets into all sorts of mischief. Created by Elliot and Michael Passi, Geigi the Stubborn Boy is a retelling of a Meriam story from Mer in the Torres Strait - brought to life by striking and fun illustrations. 

In this interactive online learning session, your students will join Michael and Elliot as they read from Geigi the Stubborn Boy, introduce the cultural story, images and places connected to the book, and invite young audiences to think about the importance of language, culture, family stories and identity. There will be a fun interactive creative task and an opportunity to ask questions. 

The content in this learning session is suitable for students in Year 3 to Year 6 and links with the Australian Curriculum V9 for English and the Creative Arts as well as supporting the cross-curriculum priority Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures.

About Michael Passi 

Michael Passi is a proud Torres Strait Islander author and storyteller who is passionate about sharing Torres Strait Islander culture, language and family stories with young readers across Australia. He co-authored Geigi the Stubborn Boy with his son Elliot, who also illustrated the book, bringing together intergenerational storytelling, cultural knowledge and creative expression. 

Michael Passi

Geigi the Stubborn Boy grew from the stories Michael was told as a child and later shared with Elliot, who grew up as an avid reader but rarely saw Torres Strait Islander stories reflected in children’s books. After travelling to the Torres Strait and visiting places connected to the story, Michael and Elliot worked through the Indigenous Literacy Foundation to bring the book to life for a wider audience. 

Through his writing and storytelling, Michael hopes to help children, teachers and families connect with Torres Strait Islander culture in a meaningful, accessible and engaging way.

About Elliot Passi 

Elliot Passi grew up as a major bookworm. When most kids were out running around on the oval, he’d be found in the library surrounded by books. This is where his love of writing and illustrating began. 

Elliot Passi

He has spent years writing and illustrating his own stories in the hopes that one day he’d become a published author and have his book on the shelf in his school library. Thanks to the Indigenous Literacy Foundation, this has become a reality. 

Geigi the Stubborn Boy is a retelling of the traditional Torres Strait Islander story. Both Elliot and his father, Michael (co-author) have a strong connection to their culture and have used this book to showcase this. 

They both also believe that Torres Strait Islander culture is underrepresented in media and storytelling and wish to change that. For Elliot, he remembered growing up reading stories with all sorts of characters, but none that looked like him or his family. Elliot hopes that this book will help give kids the representation he wishes he had growing up.