Abstract
Verbal metaphor and also metonymy have been theorized from a conceptual perspective since Lakoff and Johnson published
Metaphors we live by in the 1980s. However, the final years of the twentieth century saw a new approach into non-verbal
monomodal or multimodal tropes (Forceville & Urios-Aparisi, 2009). In an attempt to expand
upon the theorization and communicative functions of visual metonymies, this study aims to explore the meaning potential of metonymic
representations of characters in a sample of six picture books which portray same-sex-parent families. A multimodal cognitive approach has
been adopted to find out whether, and if so how, metonymic representations of characters contribute to the positive portrayal and acceptance
of same-sex-parent families in children’s picture books. The results reveal that monomodal visual metonymies are essentially used to
introduce new characters in the story and highlight important aspects of the plot which boost the acceptance of non-traditional
families.
Forging Truth from Facts: Trauma, Historicity and Australian Children's Picture Books