Translation as pedagogy: strategic hybridization and multimodal equivalence in Indonesian–English digital storybooks for character education

Purpose This study examines how translation strategies, equivalence, and multimodal resources interact to construct cultural, moral, and pedagogical meanings in an Indonesian–English bilingual digital storybook for character education. Design/methodology/approach Adopting a qualitative descriptive approach, the study analyses 112 purposively selected translation units from an interactive digital storybook. Translation strategies are examined using Molina and Hurtado Albir's framework, while equivalence is analyzed at functional, linguistic and pragmatic levels. Multimodal analysis explores the alignment of verbal, visual and auditory elements. Findings Three patterns emerge: strategic hybridization combines literal translation with pragmatic adaptation to maintain narrative clarity and pedagogical relevance; dynamic equivalence involves cultural and ideological reframing to make culture-specific expressions and moral values accessible to young readers; and multimodal reinforcement distributes moral and educational meanings across verbal, visual and auditory resources. These patterns demonstrate that translation involves negotiating linguistic accuracy, cultural specificity and pedagogical purpose rather than simply transferring meaning between languages. Originality/value The study integrates translation strategies, equivalence and multimodal discourse analysis to conceptualize translation as a pedagogical and trans-semiotic practice. It extends text-centered approaches to equivalence by demonstrating how linguistic choices interact with multimodal resources in representing cultural knowledge and character-education values in digital children's literature.