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The Art of Words

USD $18.99 Tax Included

Words are everywhere! In this fun and interactive story about the magic of words, you’ll meet ugly words, colourful words, and words that just need a friend. The imaginative illustrations show a young boy and girl playing with words; stretching them, squashing them, colouring them, and sewing them together to reflect their meaning. Engaging, entertaining and educational, this unique ‘language through adventure book’ will inspire young readers to appreciate the joy of making stories from words.

Click here to view Teacher’s Notes

SPECIFICATIONS: 9781925820843 | Hardback | 245 x 255mm / 9.5 x 10in | 32 pages | Full Colour | EK Books

A unique, fun and interactive story about the magic of words….


Readers Love it,

“Words can be sculptured and treasured, collected and cherished – and if placed in just the right way can create the awesome wonder of a story. A book after my own heart.”
– What Book Next?

 

 

 

 

 

Teacher’s Love It,

“The NSW Department of Education has declared vocabulary to be “the greatest predictor of success in literacy” so what better tool to inspire the study and development of words than a book about them.  The possibilities are endless but if you’re stuck there are teachers’ notes available.”
– The Bottom Shelf

 

 

 

 

 

and Kids do too!

“This is such a beautiful book. The illustrations depicting different words are so clever and my seven year old has been inspired to create her own drawing of a word”
– Rascals and Rainbows

 

 

 

 

Robert Vescio has worked as a photo editor and production manager in the publishing industry and is now a widely published, award-winning children’s author. As a Books in Homes Role Model, his aim is to enthuse and inspire children to read and write and to leave them bursting with imaginative ideas.

In his 12 years in the publishing industry, Robert worked on a number of photographic magazines. He enjoyed sourcing photographic material from world-renowned photographers including Mario Testino, Annie Leibovitz, and Jean-Baptiste Mondino.

Robert has previously written 12 picture books, making The Art of Words his 13th. His previous books with EK Books are Finn and Puss (2017; illustrated by Melissa Mackie), The Voyage (2019; illustrated by Andrea Edmonds) and The Box Cars (2019; illustrated by Cara King). Four of his picture books were listed on NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge, and Eric Finds A Way and Finn and Puss were shortlisted in the CBCA Bilby Awards in 2018. Robert lives in Sydney and enjoys spending time with his children, who are an endless source of humour and inspiration.

Joanna Bartel is a designer and illustrator. Previously, she has been a graphic designer for a boutique fashion label, a senior art and design teacher and an English teacher in Melbourne and Brisbane, and a copywriter and graphic designer in marketing. Now she brings her experience in Arts education, design, teaching and creative marketing to her illustration work! Joanna particularly loves character design and creating imaginative and playful images to engage children and enhance imaginative learning.

While growing up, Joanna loved books, reading to her younger brothers, and writing and illustrating her own stories. Art, Design and English were always her favourite subjects at school and these interests guided her university studies and pursuit of varied roles in the creative industries.

Joanna moved to Brisbane with her husband for his work in 2013 and, since becoming a mother to two small children, is now balancing family life with her other great loves of drawing and writing.

Educating Young Children 
The Art of Words is a delightful invitation for the emerging reader (and writer) to explore the world of words.” 


Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York.
“A fabulous and delicious book, and it’s all about learning words”


Love Four Learning
“If you’re a casual teacher this is the perfect book to have in your tool kit! It’s a great way to talk about the purpose of words”


Reading Time.
“A visual feast”. Click here to read


The Space magazine (ECC)
A book full of words and art and artful words! The visual poetry style intertwines the words of the book with the illustrations, guiding your eye across thematic settings and charming images. For early readers, this is a nice one to work through together, finding the words wherever they may be hiding on the page.


Rascals and Rainbows

“This is such a beautiful book. The illustrations depicting different words are so clever and my seven year old has been inspired to create her own drawing of a word”


Flip With Joy

“This clever book illustrates the function and magic of words in a way that our little learners can understand, making it a great resource for those who are beginning their journey into reading”Click here to read the full review


National Library of Australia’s Newsletter
The Art of Words is a unique, fun and interactive story about the magic of words.”


NZ Booklovers
“Bartel creates detailed worlds within the book, with plenty of interesting detail to capture attention. Her drawings exude joy and energy.

Put simply, The Art of Words makes literacy fun. It reveals just how much power words actually have. A brilliant, unique addition to any bookshelf.

Detailed teachers’ notes are also available on the EK Books website, which are perfect not only for the classroom. Parents and caregivers will learn a lot about using books as a resource and tool.” Click here for the full review.


Corner on Character
“I’m so grateful to the publisher for sending this sneak peek at what’s sure to be a huge hit with the teachers and caregivers of aspiring young readers. Brilliantly illustrated, this simple text beautifully explains all of the wonderful things that words can do.” Click here for the full review.


Story Snug
“The Art of Words is a celebration of the power of words, letters and punctuation. It highlights how they can be rearranged to convey different emotions and meanings and tell stories. Words can be found everywhere and this book exudes joy and excitement as a boy and a girl play with them.” Click here for the full review.


Armadillo Newsletter
“Robert Vesico and Joanna Bartel have written and illustrated some beautiful words in this clever, funny and enlightening book.”


Polly, This Enchanted Pixie
“a really fun read that engages little ones and fills them with the joy of creating stories from words.”


Buzz Words
The Art of Words is a picture book that has all the right words in all the right places. It is suitable for children 4 to 8 years old and is a wonderful resource for a classroom for grades preschool to year 3.” Click here for the full review.


Oh Creative Day 
“This book illustrates how language is a living thing and meant to be played with. When this book arrived here, I got legit excited about how it needs to be in every preschooler’s book collection.”


The Bottom Shelf
“The NSW Department of Education has declared vocabulary to be “the greatest predictor of success in literacy” so what better tool to inspire the study and development of words than a book about them.  The possibilities are endless but if you’re stuck there are teachers’ notes available.”  Click here for the full review.


Picture Book Perfect
The Art of Words is a lovely, quirky picture book … it would be great to share with emerging readers and [would] be a good addition to a school library.” Click here for the full review.


Mr Loves Bookshelf
“Each page is perfectly designed for the words being explored. I love how they stand out alone but are also deeply connected within the illustrations to create greater meaning for the reader. It’s the perfect combination to promote conversation and questioning which in turn develops oral language, vocabulary and understanding.”


Kids Get Booked 
“As surprising as it is beautiful! This is a wonderful book to share with children beginning to learn to read or learning the mechanics of language.”


It’s A Librarians Life
“The perfect book for young readers as well as an excellent learning tool book for Early Childhood teachers and parents who will appreciate the power of punctuation and the joy of learning lots of exciting WORDS.” Click here for the full review.


Sunday Telegraph
“Wonderful word play with illustrations to encourage thinking about words in new and creative ways.” Click here for the full review.


Kids’ Book Review
“Clever, colourful, and creative, with full page illustrations, Robert Vescio’s The Art of Words is highly imaginative, entertaining, and a unique early learning tool.” Click here for the full review.


Swings and Roundabouts Magazine (ECC)
“A great book for celebrating both the magic and power of words and illustrations.”


Ms S Burns
“This book is a great introduction to exploring words and looking at different concepts such as alliteration and onomatopoeia. Great fun for young and older children and exquisitely illustrated.” Click here for the full review.


What Book Next?
“Words can be sculptured and treasured, collected and cherished – and if placed in just the right way can create the awesome wonder of a story. A book after my own heart.” Click here for the full review.

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