The Boy Who Met a Whale

Worlds collide in this seafaring adventure when Razi finds a boy called Zheng washed up on the shore following a shipwreck.

Razi and his sister Shifa are recovering from the recent loss of their father at sea. Together, the three team up using Zheng’s treasure map to find the Captain’s hidden treasure and restore the Dagger of Serendib to its rightful home. However, they’re not the only ones looking for the treasure and they need to outwit the other treasure seekers in their quest.

At its most basic, this is an action-packed, swashbuckling tale with many twists, turns and threats in the race to find the dagger. But at its heart are emotional journeys. Over the course of the book, the siblings are learning to deal with and come to terms with grief, while Razi is learning to overcome his fear of the sea with the help of a blue whale.

While the story struggles to build momentum in the first half of the book, Farook’s love of the ocean is evident, and the writing is at its finest when the kids hit the high seas and begin to encounter marine animals.