The Pearl Diver

Product Description Saeed is going to learn how to dive – his father has promised to teach him! It is the start of the pearling season and this is his first trip out on the waters of the Arabian Gulf. Leaving the rest of his family behind on the shore, Saeed and his father join the crew of a pearling dhow and set out to spend the hot summer months on the high seas. He learns how the pearl divers hunt for the treasures of the seabed, and discovers the secrets and dangers of the sea.This delightful story, carefully researched from oral and written sources – some dating from more than 150 years ago – offers an insight into the way of life that sustained the Arabian Gulf right up until the discovery of oil. The winning charm of Patricia Al Fakhri’s watercolors combine with Julia Johnson’s narrative to make The Pearl Diver a perennial favorite with children aged 8 to 12.Since its first publication in 2003, it has sold more than 30,000 copies worldwide.The Pearl Diver is a suggested resource in Hamilton Trust’s Key Stage 2 unit on stories from other cultures. About the Author Julia Johnson divides her time between Dubai and an old water mill in Worcestershire, England. A thirst for adventure took Julia and her architect husband Brian to Dubai in 1975, where she soon became a familiar face reading children’s stories on Dubai Channel 33, subsequently appearing in BBC Television and Radio productions in the UK. She has toured schools in the Emirates and the UK in Theatre-in-Education productions, acted in several stage plays and recorded over 100 audio books.Since 2001 she has been writing stories for children. The Pearl Diver is recommended by the Hamilton Trust, an online resource provider for schools. The Leopard Boy was awarded a Kirkus star in America, and was endorsed by former UK Children’s Book Laureate and award-winning author, Michael Morpurgo. The Turtle Secret was the winner of the Best International Children’s Book Award at the Sharjah International Book Fair 2014. Julia loves to write stories about the rich and colorful heritage of the Arabian Gulf and Oman, and she tours the region giving talks and workshops. She also visits schools in the UK, and is a regular speaker at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature.Illustrator of The Pearl Diver, Elvis the Camel, and Fizza the Flamingo. A well-known artist and teacher, she has lived in Dubai with her husband for over 20 years. She has had many exhibitions and her work can be seen in public places and galleries throughout the Emirates.