Picture books mirror language status shifts and aid indigenous language revival
An analysis of multilingual picture books from various countries found that languages with larger speaker populations are typically given more prominence. In New Zealand, the use of te reo Māori in children's books has increased since the 1970s, reflecting and supporting its reclamation. These books can play a role in shifting societal attitudes toward languages.
The analysis was conducted during a fellowship at the International Youth Library in Munich, where Daly examined multilingual picture books containing up to eleven languages from countries including South Africa, Poland, and Norway. Across these books, languages with larger speaker populations consistently appeared first, with subsequent ordering typically following each country's demographic language hierarchy, thus mirroring existing linguistic power structures.
New Zealand examples illustrate shifting representation over time. *Crayfishing with Grandmother* (1973) placed Māori text below English but in equal size and weight, while *Pukunui* (1976) embedded Māori in speech bubbles with a glossary. The 1981 simultaneous publication of *Te Kuia me te Pūngāwerewere* and its English counterpart by Penguin marked a notable milestone in trade publishing for bilingual books.
These findings suggest picture books could serve as quiet instruments of linguistic normalization, particularly for children forming early attitudes about language prestige. Families, educators, and publishers may find that such books reinforce or challenge perceived language hierarchies. As indigenous language revitalization efforts continue globally, the format and placement of minority languages in children's literature could meaningfully influence whether younger generations view these languages as integral or peripheral to their cultural identity.