Summer Studio : Language and Text

Updated December 9, 2025
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Te Pukapuka ka Kore e Panuihia
Tipene, Tim.
Paper Book
The boy at the centre of Tim Tipene's striking new story doesn't like reading, until one day in the school library he picks up The Book that Wouldn't Read. Suddenly the book takes on a life of its own -- with sentences moving up and down, words changing colour and disappearing...
You talking to me? : discover the world of words, codes, emojis, signs, slang, smoke signals, barks, babbles, growls, gestures, hieroglyphics & more
Ham, Catherine
Paper Book
You Talking to Me? ooks at the thousands of languages humans speak, plus how we communicate with symbols and codes, and even how animals communicate. This is your chance to travel the world and explore all the cool ways humans and animals communicate with each other. From the...
The alphabet of alphabets
Sanders, Allan
Paper Book
Take a ride through 26 fully-illustrated alphabets, each one an A to Z of things to spot. From an A to Z of Birds (A is for Albatross, B is for Bluebird), to an A to Z of Zoo (A is for Aardvark, B is for Baboon), this is an alphabet of alphabets. Jam-packed full of funny...
The joy of small things
Parkinson, Hannah Jane
Paper Book
'This book is a not-so-small joy in itself.' NIGELLA LAWSON 'Parkinson has the gift of making you look with new eyes at everyday things. The perfect daily diversion.' JOJO MOYES 'Always funny and frank and full of insight, I absolutely love...
Snails & monkey tails : a visual guide to punctuation & symbols
Arndt, Michael
Paper Book
"There are countless books that can teach you the alphabet, but almost none that focus on the tiny designs that run interference among the letterforms: those easily overlooked punctuation and typographic symbols. These symbols, as Michael Arndt proves in this beautiful and endlessly fascinating...
Egyptian hieroglyphs for complete beginners : the revolutionary new approach to reading the monuments
Manley, Bill.
Paper Book
An entirely fresh and accessible approach to reading ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs by a proven expert, this step-by-step introduction assumes no previous knowledge of grammar or ancient languages, but guides you through the inscriptions, from simple to more complex, supported by full explanations...
Playing with Graphic Style : Creating a Design Voice in 50 Exercises
Heller, Steven.
Ebook
Graphic Style Lab is a lively and playful approach to discovering different design styles. This guidebook is full of experimental design projects that cover the distinctions between a personal and universal style, historical and contemporary style, one-of-a kind styles. You'll also...
The writing of the gods : the race to decode the Rosetta Stone
Dolnick, Edward
Paper Book
The fast-paced and "engrossing account" (The New York Times Book Review) of "one of the greatest breakthroughs in archaeological history" (The Christian Science Monitor): two rival geniuses in a race to decode the writing on one of the world's most famous documents--the...
Coding
McFedries, Paul
Paper Book
Your first step toward thinking like a coder Coding For Dummies is one of the most popular get-started guides for new coders. This all- new edition demystifies essential coding concepts before diving into building simple apps in Python and JavaScript. For anyone brand-new to...
Devil in the Stack : Searching for the Soul of the New Machine
Smith, Andrew.
Paper Book
From internationally-bestselling author and journalist Andrew Smith, an immersive, alarming, sharp-eyed journey into the bizarre world of computer code, told through his sometimes painful, often amusing attempt to become a coder himself Throughout history, technological revolutions...
A very modern dictionary : over 600 words, idioms, acronyms & slang to keep your culture game on point
Anthony, Tobias
Paper Book
This handy dictionary hilariously captures the state of the English language in the year 2020. The Internet - and more specifically, social media - can make new and confusing words spread like wildfire. So it's easy to feel like sometimes you get left behind in the linguistic dust. For example,...
Cross stitch alphabets : 14 beautiful designs inspired by the natural world
Le Berre, Hélène
Paper Book
14 gorgeous, delicate cross stitch designs to embroider with animal, plant and floral themes. Accomplished cross stitch designer Hélène Le Berre brings you 14 stunningly beautiful alphabets to embroider. Her trademark style is very delicate and pretty and these designs are no...
Happy hand lettering : simple calligraphy techniques to bring your words to life
Wagner, Jen (Calligrapher)
Paper Book
Create a More Beautiful World with a Little Hand-Lettered Love! Messages from your own hand are an intimate and powerful means of expression and communication. Happy Hand Lettering offers you instruction and encouragement to begin creating beautifully written words right...
Ngā hapa reo : common Māori language errors
Black, Hona; Murphy-Fell, Te Aorangi
Paper Book
Following on from the bestselling Te Reo Kapekape (2023) and He Iti te Kupu (2021), Hona Black's new book - co-authored with Te Aorangi Murphy-Fell - is an essential reference for any Maori learner or speaker. Surging interest in te reo Maori in recent years has led to a range of errors becoming...
Watercolor & hand lettering : step-by-step techniques for modern illustrated calligraphy
Pöltl, Tanja
Paper Book
Learn how to combine watercolor illustrations with hand lettering to create beautiful art and gifts. Self-taught artist Tanje Pöltl shares the tips, tricks and know-how she's learned on her creative journey so that you can fast-track your skills.  Discover the...
Tip, tap
Dixon, Berys
Paper Book
P is for pterodactyl : the worst alphabet book ever ; all the letters that misbehave and make words nearly impossible to pronounce
Haldar, Raj
Paper Book
A New York Times Bestseller! A "raucous trip through the odd corners of our alphabet." -The New York Times Let's get real-the English language is bizarre. A might be for apple, but it's also for aisle and aeons. Why does the word "gnat" start...
The great Kiwi ABC book
Bixley, Donovan
Paper Book
Here is the ABC like you've never seen it: featuring Donovan Bixley's most popular characters from his uniquely Kiwi 'Wheels on the Bus' and 'Old MacDonald's Farm'. Look out for the milkshake-making cow, the All Black lambs, the hand-bag carrying old lady tuatara, the cute pink ski-bunny, and the...
Pop in the pan
Mullick, Anita
Paper Book
Design, animate, and create with computer graphics
Wainewright, Max
Paper Book
Learn how to design, animate, and create incredible computer graphics using free software. With easy-to-follow, illustrated step-by-step instructions, create all types of projects, from Pop Art posters and photo cubes, to game animations and a 3D city. Inspiration is...
The future of language : how technology, politics and utopianism are transforming the way we communicate
Seargeant, Philip
Ebook
More marks of identity : New Zealand logos 1980-2000
Thompson, Hamish
Paper Book
Signs & symbols
Paper Book
Decode the secrets and uncover the origins and meanings of over 2,000 signs and symbols, from ancient hieroglyphs to modern-day logos. Why is a heart pierced by an arrow a classic symbol of love? What are the ancient roots of fertility symbols? Why are scales a...
Your number's up : digits, number lines, negative and positive numbers
Colson, Rob
Paper Book
Numbers are all around us but why are they important? This book finds out what numbers are, from how we count them, to what are prime and base numbers and takes you upto the really big ones - millions, billions and to infinity and beyond. You'll also explore some really strange numbers, find out...
Counting: Humans, History and the Infinite Lives of Numbers
Wardhaugh, Benjamin.
Paper Book
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO COUNT? WHY ARE HUMANS THE ONLY SPECIES ON EARTH THAT CAN DO IT? WHERE DID COUNTING COME FROM? HOW HAS IT SHAPED SOCIETIES ALONG THE WAY? AND WHY DOES IT MATTER? Counting is an innovative, erudite, world-wrapping journey through humanity's marvellous...
Because internet : understanding the new rules of language
McCulloch, Gretchen
Paper Book
The internet isn't the first technology to alter how we communicate, but it is making our language change faster and in more interesting ways than ever before. The programmers behind the apps and platforms we use decide how our conversations are structured, from the grammar of status updates to the...
Why is this a question? everything about the origins & oddities of language you never thought to ask
Jones, Paul Anthony
Paper Book
Admittedly, that' s probably a question that might never have occurred to you. But if you' re even remotely interested in the origins and oddities of language, it' s likely also a question you' re now intrigued to know the answer to. Nor is it the only question: take a moment to think about how our...
English for everyone : English idioms
Booth, Thomas
Paper Book
Want to brush up on your English idioms? Hoping to pass an English exam with flying colours? Ideal for anyone who wants to learn English to native-speaker standard, this fun and engaging visual guide to the most common and useful English idioms and phrases will help you understand and remember...
Fluent in 3 months : tips and techniques to help you learn any language
Lewis, Benny
Paper Book
Meet the man who makes the mission of learning any language possible! The all-you-need guide to learning a language. Language hacker Benny Lewis shows how anyone anywhere can learn any language without leaving their home, using a simple toolkit and by...
Origin uncertain : unraveling the mysteries of etymology
Liberman, Anatoly
Paper Book
Lost origins of words revealed. We like to recount that goodbye started out as "god be with you," that whiskey comes from the Gaelic for "water of life," or that avocado originated as the Aztec word for "testicle." But there are many words with origins unknown, disputed, or so buried in old journals...

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