Abstract Early transitions are on the rise across global and national contexts. However, resources informing teachers and families about best practices concerning infants, especially infant transitions from home to early childhood settings, are almost non-existent. In this article, the authors share the outcomes of an experiment that translated research from an International Study of the Social and Emotional Experiences of Early Transitions (isseet) project into a range of visual resources for this audience. They created a suite of video, infographic and meme visual resources that outlined ‘what works’ for quality early transitions and sought end-user feedback around their utility. While the feedback was positive overall concerning infographics and videos, end-users expressed strong negative responses to the use of memes. In the article that follows, the authors explore why it might be so. They draw on the Bakhtinian concept of genre. With its form, content and strategic orientation, they translate and interpret the meaning ascribed to the memes. They argue that the complex humour and cultural memory that sit behind memes grants them unique translation status. Reflecting on the responses, the authors consider pathways for memes as impactful research translation for end-users – in this case, early years teachers.