Children’s picture books: LGBTQ translation

Abstract

This article reflects on how LGBTQ children’s picturebooks originally written in English are translated in Spain and Italy for their respective markets. Given the social changes that have occurred in recent years, it examines similarities and differences in the reception, diffusion and translation of such books. Through an analysis of the translations of Heather has Two Mommies, by Lesléa Newman, and Introducing Teddy, by Jessica Walton, it demonstrates the importance for translation of both the iconographic and linguistic elements of the texts and reveals that the translations seek to either emphasise or downplay the LGBTQ aspects of the original texts.