altered book (n.) a work of art that has changed a book into something else by cutting, gluing, or any other method.

astronomy (n.) the study of the universe, stars, planets and other objects in the universe, and our earth in relation to them.

background (n.) the part of a picture that is in the distance, often behind the main subject of the picture.

binding (n.) 1. the material that covers books and holds the pages of a book together.  2. the art of covering and putting books together.

botany (n.) the scientific study of plants, where they live and how they grow.

chronometer (n.) a very precise clock invented in the 18th century that used a spring balance instead of swinging pendulum. It was a very important invention at time because the chronometer was less likely to lose time on rough seas. This meant that the time could be kept on long voyages, in order to help sailors calculate longitude. Its small size and its ability to keep time, despite sudden movements, also lead to the invention of the watch.

circumnavigate (v.) to sail around something, for example, an island.

clay tablet (n.) small block made from clay by Ancient Sumerians. It was used as the writing material for the first writing system, cuneiform.

codex (n.) a collection of pages that can be read individually, fastened together along one edge. Originating from the first century, it was the first true book format, which soon replaced the scroll.

collage (n.) the art of making a picture or pattern by gluing paper, cloth, photographs, or other objects together onto a surface.

comic cell (n.) the individual boxes that make up a comic strip.

cosmography (n.) the science and study of the entire world or universe. The study of the evolution of the universe.

cuneiform (n.) the first writing system, developed in Ancient Sumer, made by making wedge-shaped marks on a clay tablet with the end of a reed.

dialect (n.) a form of a language specific to areas or regions.

e-book (n.) an electronic or digital version of a book, which can be read on an e-book device, or an e-reader.

e-newspaper (n.) a newspaper that is available via the internet. Still published by newspaper and news companies, e-newspapers can help reduce the use of paper, and also be updated 24 hours a day, without republishing. E-newspaper sites often also include blogs and online discussion sites.

fauna (n.) the animals of a particular area, for example, Australian fauna.

flora (n.) the plants of a particular area, for example, Australian flora.

foreground (n.) the details that appear to be at the front of a picture. The part of a picture that looks closest to the viewer.  Usually the main subject of the artwork.

Gutenberg printing press (n.) the first mechanised printing press, using moveable metal type, invented by Johannes Gutenberg in Maine, Germany, around the year 1450. It was a quick, efficient way of making books that soon replaced the manuscript in Europe, and later the world. (see also: manuscripts).

habitat (n.) the natural environment of a plant or animal.

H.M.S. abbreviation of Her Majesty’s Ship, or His Majesty’s Ship, depending on whether a King or Queen is in power in Britain.

illuminated manuscripts (n.) hand-written books with coloured letters, illustrations and borders, often decorated with brilliant colours as well as real gold. Very common in medieval Europe, most illuminated manuscripts are Christian texts written and decorated by monks.  (see also: manuscripts)

Japanese woodblock printing (n.) the Japanese art of making pictures by cutting a picture into a block of wood, that is then coloured with ink and pressed onto paper to make an image.

latitude (n.) imaginary horizontal lines on a map that run east-west across the world.  The centre line that circles around the middle of the earth is called the equator and it labelled as 0°.  The degrees of latitude get higher as you move north or south from the equator.

longitude (n.) imaginary vertical lines on a map that run north-south over the world.  An imaginary line called the prime meridian, or Greenwich, is at 0° longitude – this is in London.  The degrees of longitude get higher as you move east or west of the prime meridian. The prime meridian is all used to calculate world time zones.

manuscript (n.) a book, or any other document such as sheet music or letters, written by hand.  Before the invention of printing, all documents were manuscripts.

marbling (n.) the art of making coloured patterns by putting heavy coloured inks in water, which are then absorbed onto paper. Marbling is often used to decorate the insides of book covers.

marsupial (n.) a type of mammal that stays in the mother’s pouch long after they are born, for example, the kangaroo, wombat, or koala.

medieval (adj.)  A historical period from approximately 500 – 1450 AD. Sometimes also called the Middle Ages.

millennium (n.) a period of 1000 years.

moveable type (n.) reusable individual metal letters that are arranged into a page which is then pressed down onto paper. They have been used in printing since Gutenberg’s printing press. Over the last 20 years the computer has replaced this method. (see also: Gutenberg’s printing press)

naturalist (n.) a person who studies flora, fauna and the natural world. (see also flora, fauna)

onomatopoeia (n.) the use of words that sound like the thing or action that they are describing, for example, 'buzz', 'bang' and 'woof'.

orientation (n.) the direction of something in relation to a compass point or some other data.

papyrus (n.) writing material made from a river plant and first used by Ancient Egyptians. The word paper comes from the word papyrus.

parchment  (n.) writing material made from animal skin, usually sheep, cows or goats. Replaced papyrus because it is a tougher, more flexible material.  (see also: papyrus)

pictogram (n.)  a picture sign that represents an object.  Pictograms, used in Ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt, lead to the invention of writing.

reed  (n.) stem of a tall, thin plant that grows in water. Ancient Sumerians used reeds to write cuneiform on clay tablets. (see also: Sumer, cuneiform, clay tablet)

scribe (n.) a person who is very skilled in writing, who is paid to write.  Scribes were considered very important people in Sumerian, Egyptian and medieval cultures.

scroll (n.) a roll of papyrus, parchment, or paper, with writing or a map on it. This was the most common form of writing material before the book.

scurvy – (n.) a disease caused by lack of Vitamin C.

speech balloon (n.) a balloon shape in a comic with writing inside that shows what a character is saying.

stylus (n.) a pointed tool, usually made of metal or bone, which is used for making holes, and feint lines on a manuscript page for writing.

temple (n.) a place where a god, or something else, is worshipped. A special or holy place.

thought bubble (n.) a bubble shape in a comic with writing inside that shows what a character is thinking.

vellum (n.) a fine quality parchment usually made from the skin of  a baby cow, sheep, or goat. 

virtual book (n.) a book which is available on a computer to read and explore, and has similar features to a physical book, such as page turning.

voyage (n.) a long journey by sea or air.

woodblock printing (n.) the art of making pictures by cutting a picture into a block of wood that is then coloured with ink and pressed onto paper to make an image.

zine (n.) a magazine that is published, distributed and produced on a small budget by and for fans of a particular topic.;

Ancient Egyptians The people who lived in the region of Egypt, between about 2000 BCE and 600 BCE.

Cape Leeuwin Coastland at the very south-west tip of Western Australia, close to the city of Perth.

Caxton, William (1422-92) An English writer and printer who developed the first printing press in England, and who was England’s first publisher. He is also credited with helping to standardise the English language.

Cook, James (1728-79) An English explorer who was the first European to discover the east coast of Australia, Antarctica and many Pacific Islands.

Flinders, Matthew (1774-1814) An English explorer most famous for circumnavigating and mapping Australia.

Gulf of Carpentaria A large shallow sea to the west of Australia’s northern most tip, Cape York.

Gutenberg, Johannes (1398-1468) The German inventor of the first modern printing press, which used ‘movable type’ and who printed what is now known as the ‘Gutenberg Bible’.

Kangaroo Island Australia’s third largest island, near Adelaide.

Mesopotamia The region area that is now part of Iraq, Turkey, Syria and Iran, where many important ancient civilizations lived, including the Sumerians.

New Holland An earlier name for Australia, named so because the Dutch explorers had reached the north-west coast of Australia in the late 1600s.

Port Jackson Another earlier name for Sydney Harbour.

Port Phillip The bay around which Melbourne, Australia is built.

Spencer’s Gulf A large inlet west of Adelaide, Australia. The gulf as named Spencer's Gulf by explorer Matthew Flinders in 1802, after George John Spencer, the 2nd Earl Spencer, an ancestor of Princess Diana.

Sumerians People of the ancient civilization of Sumer who lived in Mesopotamia.

Terra Australis An early name given to Australia before it was discovered, by Europeans, which means Southern Land.

Timor A small island of 30,777 square kilometres between Australia’s west coast, and the south-eastern Indonesian islands. Flinders stopped here briefly in his circumnavigation of Australia.

Torres Strait  An area of sea at the north-eastern tip of Australia, between Australia and Timor.;