The implications of typographic design in bilingual picturebooks for hierarchies

Abstract

Presentation of text in picturebooks is an under-investigated field that requires consideration in order to support readers and those selecting books for readers. A unique form of picturebook is the bilingual picturebook which presents a story in two languages. The complexities of language readability and legibility are increased in these books, with implications for reader perception of the typographic design. In this paper we outline considerations for the design and presentation of two languages in bilingual picturebooks. We provide a discussion and analysis of text layout in Māori-English bilingual picturebooks and present guidelines for authors, designers, and publishers as well providing recommendations for the required further investigation into typographic layout for bilingual picturebooks.