The winning charm of Patricia Al-Fakhri's watercolours, combined with Julia Johnson's enchanting narrative, makes 'The Pearl Diver' an exceptional book for children aged 8-12. 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 to 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 treasures on the seabed and discovers the secrets and dangers of the sea. The story, carefully researched from oral and written sources - some dating from more than a hundred-and-fifty years ago - offers unique insights into a way of life that sustained the Arabian Gulf right up until the discovery of oil.