In the field of Descriptive Translation Studies, a definition of translation should not prescribe what features a translation needs to have in order to be labelled as such; instead a definition should be descriptive and account for all texts that have ever been labelled translation. As a result, many descriptive definitions have not only proved to be too general, but their failure to distinguish translation from other forms of rewriting (such as adaptation) has continued to fuel the equivalence debate. This article investigates to what extent a prototypical approach may help to define translation in an adequate way (i.e., both descriptive and specific), departing from the Default Prototype Concept as presented in Chesterman (1998:201-230). More specifically, attention is given to the extent to which the translation of children's literature, which is characterized by a collision of several norms (source-text related, literary, business, didactical, pedagogical and technical norms), meets Chesterman's standard constellation, i.e., the contemporary folk view of what prototypical translation is. Is children's literature translated in a specific way, thus calling for an adjustment or refinement of Chesterman's standard constellation? Examples are taken from translated Nordic children's literature (Sofies Verden, Nils Holgersson, Pippi Långstrump, Pettson och Findus).