Baldomera´s Bray

The Transmediation of a Viral Story

Abstract

This article examines the transmedial transformation of The Story of Baldomera, tracing its evolution from a viral video to a picturebook. The study highlights how the adaptation recontextualizes the original material through the interplay of visual and verbal elements, expanding its narrative to address contemporary environmental concerns and the emotional resonance of human-animal relationships. By introducing themes of climate change and the pandemic’s impact on human interaction with nature, the picturebook redefines the story as an ecomedial artifact, reflecting broader cultural changes and ecological anxieties. The analysis further explores intertextual connections to iconic literary representations of donkeys, including Dapple in Don Quixote and Platero in Platero and I, positioning Baldomera within a tradition that underscores the cultural significance of donkeys. In studying how the transmediation of the video introduces new layers of meaning to the book, this article reflects on the persistence of hierarchical views of animals and explores how children's literature and digital media can both express ecological crises and reimagine human-animal relationships in the digital age.