"Illustranslation" for children: Text-illustration dynamics in children's picture books from a translation studies perspective

Abstract

The present paper builds on the idea that translation and illustration processes share certain similarities and methodologies. Based on this assumption, the article intends to prove that the text-picture dynamics present in children's picture books could be considered the result of a translation process. This assertion paves the way for using translation concepts such as "strategies" and "procedures" as analytical tools to underscore illustrators' decisions and, subsequently, explain the reasons behind the formation of a specific dynamic. The aforementioned ideas are tested via the empirical study of several examples. Its results demonstrate that this model helps draw up a more solid, systematical, and well-grounded analysis of text-illustration relationships and the processes that actually shape them.