Behind the Books

Exciting news!  Bye-Bye, les tétées is now available in both softcover and ebook editions. The French translation of Bye-Bye, Boobies has been available in hardcover for some time, and we are pleased to make the story accessible in additional formats for families, educators, and libraries. Like the original English edition, Bye-Bye, les tétées follows a young child as they navigate the transition away from breastfeeding. Told from the toddler's point of view, the book offers reassurance during a milestone that can bring many emotions for both children and caregivers. Creating a translated edition is about more than converting words from one language to another. Children's books rely on tone, rhythm, and meaning, all of which require careful consideration when adapting a story for a new audience. If you're interested in the translation process, you can also read our earlier post, Why Human Translators Still Matter in an AI World . Although I'm not fluent in French mys...

"Every translation is a reading..."  - Jacques Derrida As a publisher building French and other language editions of our children’s books, I’ve seen firsthand where today's automated translation tools fall short. Let's face it, AI translation tools are fast, accessible and they are increasingly sophisticated. For quick comparisons or basic checks, they can even be helpful. I use them as part of my toolbox in my workflow as a publisher, but not for the various language adaptations we have now or will be hiring people for in the future. Why we don't use AI translations for our books Publishing children’s books, especially books that deal with breastfeeding, bodies, and early childhood transitions, requires more than technical accuracy. It requires cultural fluency, tonal sensitivity, really it's that lived understanding and being able to share thoughts and feelings in a way that machines can't ever understand. That is where human translators remain essential...