Stunning Interplay between text and illustrations.

Diary of a Shark Catcher is not just another diary for young readers. Through skilled and touching writing, it renders the internal world of a teenage girl, Gal, who runs away from her home in Jerusalem, aiming to solve the riddle of her father’s disappearance. The story follows one pivotal and eventful summer in the life of Gal, who joins the scuba crew at the Underwater Observatory in the southern city of Eilat, where her father once worked and was last seen. As the only girl in the crew, she struggles to be accepted as an equal. Gal learns about the strange and wondrous world that lies underwater, befriends marine creatures and dives into the depths to capture sharks for the Observatory. Step by step, she uncovers the details of her father’s story. The revelations will leave her frustrated and upset – but will also lead her to new insights that will change her life.

2021 (first pub. 2013) | 141 pp. | Age 9-14 | English translation available | Rights Sold: Chinese (Simplified), Hebrew

“The book’s design is what enables all the details text and illustrations to come together into one tight and homogenous unit a book of diversity and surprise.”- Na’ama Tobias, HaPinkas, journal of children lit.

“The characters Bergman has created are well formed, the story is absorbing, and all of its parts converge to a successful and coherent end the illustrations are as meaningful as the text in conveying the narrative.” – Yotam Schwimmer, YNET, e-newspaper

“A gorgeous graphic novel. To me, this is a book for all ages.” – Tal Goldstein, Megaphone, e-newspaper

Orit Bergman writes and illustrates children’s books, and teaches illustration at the prestigious Bezalel Academy of Arts & Design, Jerusalem. Her books are sold in France, China and Israel, and she frequently contributes illustrations to newspapers, magazines, advertisement campaigns, and exhibitions. Her work has won her many prizes and awards.