Teaote and the Wall
I wrote Teaote and the Wall in time to be launched at the Pacific Islander Festival at Footscray Arts Centre in 2015. For so long, I was trying to find a way to share how Kiribati faced rising ocean waters. From visiting Kiribati many times and staying at our family house on Tarawa, I saw the development of not only our family sea wall but the neighbours around us. The wall still stands to this day and the fight for Kiribati people to protect their homes from rising sea levels continues to this day.
Teaote and the Wall is a children’s book set in Kiribati.
Telling the story of Teaote and her determination to build a wall that protects her house from the inevitable high tide, Teaote and the Wall introduces the reader to the concept of living on the frontline of climate change. It is a simple story of strength, resilience, problem-solving and friendship.
Written by me and illustrated by Stacey Bennett.
