Snails and Monkey Tails: A Visual Guide to Punctuation & Symbols

Michael Arndt

Hardcover | 17.1 x 1.8 x 17.1 cm | 160 pp

HQ | 2022 | 9780008530204

What is the purpose of the comma – perhaps the most used symbol in the English language – and what are the proper uses of the asterisk? Do quote marks go inside or outside punctuation? What about a quote within a quote – a quote from someone quoting someone else? How much space goes on either side of an ellipsis? What’s the difference between an en dash and an em dash?

Snails and Monkey Tails is a show-stopping guide with more than 75 uniquely designed two-colour spreads. Award-winning graphic designer Michael Arndt explores the typographic origins, names, and shapes of both common punctuation marks and symbols, as well as the proper and diverse usage of each. From the full stop to the question mark, the semicolon to the en dash, symbols and marks are an integral part of language.