An attempt is made to study (i) the differences in the way BIRD metaphoric and metonymic models are employed in the Bulgarian and Anglo-American language and culture communities, and more specifically in children's books, and (ii) the role the translation of the latter may play in the migration of such models across boundaries. For the purpose, the internal structure of the BIRD category is elaborated on the basis of our perception of, and interaction with, its members (outer appearance - shape, body parts, size, colour; habitat in terms of space and time, and activities). The cross-cultural asymmetries associated with differences in the various layers of myth, legend, oral and written tradition in the two cultures, may further multiply and create additional difficulties for the translator due to some major differences between the English and Bulgarian languages.