The Cheetah's Tale

A heart wrenching children's story. A little girl comes across a malnourished cheetah cub caged at the back of a small shop in an Arab souq. Her mother agrees to buy the animal to save its life, and the little girl rears the cub at their house until it grows into a fine young cheetah. The cheetah and the girl are inseparable friends, but they know one day he will need to return to Africa where he can roam free. Beautiful illustrations flow throughout the narrative and bring this enchanting tale to life.

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 colourful 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.

Susan Keeble’s distinctive watercolours have been exhibited at galleries internationally, including the Royal Scottish Academy, and the International Guild of Artists in Dubai, where she lived for five years. She is regularly commissioned to paint the Henley Regatta. She and her husband divide their time between their homes in Gloucestershire, the Auvergne and Portugal.