Tag Archives: Diversity

Translation Effects on Children’s Books

© Andrew Ebrahim via Unsplash.

 

Movie details are sometimes altered to appeal to wider or local audiences. Disney’s Zootopia is no exception

 

Judy Hopps, the first bunny cop in the modern mammal metropolis called Zootopia, teams up with a cunning fox, Nick Wild, to solve a mystery that could potentially ruin the relationship between different types of animals. One of the characters in Zootopia was customized depending on the aired countries. In the US, Canada, and France, a TV news reporter is a moose, but the same character is seen as a panda in China and as a raccoon in Japan. 

 

Localizing graphics across different countries is just another way to specialize films across the world to make sure films will resonate with audiences,” said Kirsten Acuna, a correspondent for Business Insider. This principle also applies to children’s books.

 

As a children’s book publisher, Star Bright Books makes a concerted effort to include children of all colors, nationalities, and abilities in its books by working with diverse authors and publishing multilingual, multicultural books. Here are some changes made in our books in translation to respect the cultures, religions, and backgrounds of the target audience. 

 

Covers of Animal Colors (English and Navajo/English editions), illustrated by Brian Wildsmith.

 

Just like Zootopia, animal characters are altered when publishing books for different peoples and cultures. In this case, the purpose is not to localize the character, but rather to respect cultural connotations. The original version of Animal Colors by Brian Wildsmith, for example, includes snakes and frogs; however, these animals are believed to bring bad luck in some cultures. As a result, the yellow snake was updated to a yellow chick and the green frog became a green chameleon in the Navajo and Navajo/English bilingual versions of the book.

 

 

A scene from the English edition of Animal Colors by Brian Wildsmith.

 

Character names and objects are also often adapted when translating one language into another in order to make them more familiar to the target audience. In the original Greek edition of Comings and Goings, the main character’s name is Phevos. In the English edition (a 2022 USBBY Outstanding International Books selection), Phevos became Alex. In this way, native English readers can pronounce the main character’s name more easily. Similarly, Phevos and his mother’s meal of mashed potatoes and cabbage was changed to sandwiches and French fries because the latter combination is a common lunch option in the US.

 

The English version of Comings and Goings contains changes to character names and food items. Art from Fotini Tikkou.

 

Certain words and phrases cannot and should not be translated into other languages because readers might misinterpret an author’s intention or find the situation unrelatable. Which sounds better: sushi or raw fish on top of a vinegar rice ball? Translators also choose words and phrases that convey appropriate meaning and sometimes avoid translating word-for-word.

 

Children will immerse themselves in cultural stories when words, characters, and other design elements are adapted for easy understanding. Young readers can travel around the world by safely reading diverse books at home thanks to translators’ careful considerations.

Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2022 Reviews

 

On January 28, Star Bright Books proudly returned as a bronze sponsor for Multicultural Children’s Book Day! We appreciate the opportunity to participate in this celebration of representation and diverse stories. Multicultural Children’s Book Day, now in its tenth year, aims to connect young readers with multicultural books and expose them to new perspectives. This year, volunteers read and reviewed Books and Bricks: How a School Rebuild the Community, I Have Cerebral Palsy, and The Magic of Clay. We would like to share their amazing words below!*

*Click each link to read the full review.

 

Books and Bricks: How a School Rebuilt the Community

Mindfulece (Twitter: @TheMindfulECE)
“I loved this book for children. It’s wonderful to read out loud. It’s informative and includes a little bit of mystery that keeps the reader engaged. As the story unfolds it’s heartwarming to see the transformation of the main characters from hopeless to hopeful about what a thriving school can do for the community.”

 

Hannah Stere (Goodreads and Amazon)
[This] is an engaging story about a South African community that bands together to create a mutually beneficial relationship in an engaging and thoughtful way. Books and Bricks highlights the importance of a school as a community support system.”

 

Medha Tare (Instagram: @picklebunny_books)
“An inspiring example of #communitybuilding with parallels around the world.

 

I Have Cerebral Palsy

MaryAnne Kofenderfer (Twitter & Instagram: @mamasmiles)
“This book represents beautifully MCBD’s mission to raise awareness of the ongoing need to include kids’ books that celebrate diversity in homes and school bookshelves.”

 

Shenna Bogetti (Instagram: @librarian_shenna)
[I Have Cerebral Palsy] is a great book to help build that world knowledge and help students be comfortable around others that may have cerebral palsy or another type of disability.”

 

Rachana Ramanan (Instagram: @rach_artnmore)
“This book is so beautiful – it blew my mind away – it journeys through the life of Sydney – a day at school, home, her struggle with Cerebral Palsy and makes you realize that she’s just like any other girl with hopes and dreams! As she says, ‘I’m a lot like you, but I do have to do some things differently!’”

 

Bev Baird (Blog and Goodreads)
I thoroughly enjoyed Sydney’s story and would highly recommend it. Thank you, Sydney, for your candor and sweetness.”

 

The Magic of Clay

Leanna Guillén Mora (Blog and Instagram: @craftymomsshare)
“If you have a little art lover in your life – or one that just loves playing with modeling clay! – then they will love The Magic of Clay, a wonderful new picture book from Star Bright Books, a MCBD Bronze sponsor! It is a deep dive into the science and art of clay, including how it is formed and how it can be used to make new creations.” 

 

Kelsey Ray (Twitter: @ReadingRay)
“This book is very enlightening about clay and its properties. I learned so much about the process of creating items from clay in a clear, concrete manner.”