The winning charm of PatriciaAl-Fakhri's watercolours combinewith Julia Johnson's narrative tomake The Pearl Diver an outstandingbook for children aged 8 - 12.Saeed is going to learn how to dive -his father has promised to teachhim!It is the start of the pearling seasonand this is his first trip out on to thewaters of the Arabian Gulf.

Leavingthe rest of his family behind on theshore, Saeed and his father join thecrew of a pearling dhow and set out tospend the hot summer months on thehigh seas.

He learns how the pearldivers hunt for the treasures of theseabed, and discovers the secrets anddangers story, carefullyresearched from oral and writtensources - some dating from more thana hundred-and-fifty years ago - offersan insight into the way of life thatsustained the Arabian Gulf right upuntil the discovery of oil.