Canonization of translated children’s literature : using bronze and sunflower as an example

Children’s literature has been gaining prominence in academic research in recent years. With the developing interest in this field, discourse on the canon of children’s literature has emerged. However, some academics have reasoned that the creation of a canon for a popular genre like children’s literature cannot be disengaged from its audience. Research on the canon of children’s literature in various parts of the world have turned the spotlight on the process of canon formation, instead of taking on the traditional idea of a list of authoritative works. This paper seeks to combine this burgeoning research area with the study of translated children’s literature, a topic that is coming to the forefront of children’s literature research as more attention is given to introducing cultural diversity in reading materials for children. \n \nBased on the above interests, this paper directs its focus to the canonization of translated children’s literature through the analysis of the English translation of Bronze and Sunflower, a novel by award-winning Chinese author, Cao Wenxuan. The work is studied in relation to the concepts of patronage, poetics and ideology in understanding the canonization of Bronze and Sunflower. In the inquiry of patronage, it is established that apart from the award-winning status of both the author and the translator, the commercial success of the publisher, as well as the positive reception of the text reflected in book reviews in mainstream media and children’s journals contributes to the canonization of the work. Next, the literary adaptations considered as conforming to the poetics of the target culture lends itself to acceptance of the translated text. In addition, the ideological component of a culture poses consequential influence on both poetological motivations of the text and considerations in translation strategy. Both of which aid in the alignment and convergence of the ideologies of Bronze and Sunflower and the target culture, which in turn prime the work for acceptance and subsequently canonization.