The Dirigible Balloon
Poetry for Children

A Dozen Jobs for the Sea

1. Stone smoother
2. Shell grinder
3. Boat bearer
4. Fish home
5. Whale song concert hall
6. Seaweed orchard
7. Driftwood designer
8. Swimmer support
9. Eye stinger
10. Mouth rinse after dental work
11. Storm gatherer
12. Beach whisperer

About the Writer


Melinda Szymanik

Melinda is an award-winning New Zealand author of picture books, short stories and novels for children and young adults. Notable titles include The Were-Nana (Scholastic, 2008) winner of Children’s Choice at the 2009 NZ Post Children’s Book Awards, A Winter’s Day in 1939 (Scholastic, 2013) winner of Librarian’s Choice at the 2014 LIANZA Awards, and Fuzzy Doodle (Scholastic, 2016) a 2017 White Raven selection. She also writes poetry for adults and children, and regularly teaches creative writing.