In Search of Authentic and Adapted Literary Texts in Textbooks for Y oung Learners of English as a Foreign Language Ivana Milković* 1 , Ivana Cindrić 2 and Diana Cvitanović 3 • In Croatia, textbooks play a crucial role in shaping the linguistic and com - municative competencies of young English as a Foreign Language learners. Incorporating authentic and adapted literary texts in textbooks is essential for enhancing language development. Authentic literary texts mirror real- world language use, providing learners with genuine language encounters in various contexts. Adapted literary texts, on the other hand, are modi - fied versions of original texts tailored to meet the linguistic and cognitive abilities of the target audience. They serve to bridge the gap between learn - ers’ current language abilities and authentic materials, and thus facilitate language development. Integrating authentic and adapted texts of different forms into textbooks for young English as a Foreign Language learners of - fers numerous advantages. Exposure to real-life language enables learners to develop their language skills in a meaningful and relevant manner while working at the same time on their communicative and intercultural com - petencies, as well as visual and multimodal literacies. The present paper analyses textbooks designed for Grade 4 English as a Foreign Language learners, focusing on authentic and adapted literary texts. It explores the range of authentic literary texts (stories, cartoons, dialogues, poems, etc.) and investigates factors such as purpose, cultural relevance and engage - ment value (follow-up activities). The findings highlight the significance of including authentic materials that reflect learners’ interests and experi - ences in textbooks. Educators, curriculum designers and textbook publish - ers can benefit from these insights to create materials that cater to the needs and interests of young English as a Foreign Language learners, fostering their language development in authentic and engaging ways. Keywords: adapted literary texts, authentic literary texts, culture, textbooks, young English as a Foreign Language learners 1 *Corresponding Author. Faculty of Teacher Education, University of Zagreb, Croatia; ivana.milkovic@ufzg.hr. 2 Faculty of Teacher Education, University of Zagreb, Croatia. 3 Primary School Meterize, Šibenik, Croatia. DOI: https://doi.org/10.26529/cepsj.1906 Received: 25 May 2024, Accepted: 3 December 2024 Published on-line as Recently Accepted Paper: March 2025 c e p s Journal in search of authentic and adapted literary texts in textbooks for young ... 2 V iskanju izvirnih in prilagojenih literarnih besedil v učbenikih za mlajše učence angleščine kot tujega jezika Ivana Milković, Ivana Cindrić in Diana Cvitanović • Na Hrvaškem imajo učbeniki ključno vlogo pri oblikovanju jezikovnih in sporazumevalnih kompetenc mlajših učencev angleščine kot tujega jezika. Vključevanje izvirnih in prilagojenih literarnih besedil v uč - benike je bistvenega pomena za krepitev jezikovnega razvoja. Izvirna literarna besedila odražajo jezikovno rabo v resničnem svetu in učen - cem omogočajo srečevanje z jezikom v različnih kontekstih na pristen način. Prilagojena literarna besedila pa so spremenjene različice izvir - nih besedil, načrtovane tako, da ustrezajo jezikovnim in kognitivnim zmožnostim ciljnega občinstva. Služijo za premostitev vrzeli med tre - nutnimi jezikovnimi zmožnostmi učencev in izvirnimi gradivi ter tako olajšajo jezikovni razvoj. Vključevanje izvirnih in prilagojenih besedil različnih oblik v učbenike za mlajše učence angleščine kot tujega jezika prinaša številne prednosti. Izpostavljenost jeziku iz resničnega življenja učencem omogoča, da razvijajo svoje jezikovne spretnosti na smiseln in ustrezen način ter da hkrati razvijajo svoje sporazumevalne in med - kulturne kompetence ter vizualno in multimodalno pismenost. Ta pri - spevek analizira učbenike, namenjene učencem angleščine kot tujega jezika v 4. razredu, s poudarkom na izvirnih in prilagojenih literarnih besedilih. Raziskuje vrsto izvirnih literarnih besedil (zgodbe, risanke, dialogi, pesmi itn.) in preiskuje dejavnike, kot so: namen, kulturna rele - vantnost in raven zavzetosti pri učencih (dejavnosti po branju/posluša - nju besedil). Ugotovitve poudarjajo pomen vključevanja izvirnih gradiv, ki odražajo interese in izkušnje učencev, v učbenike. Učitelji, načrtovalci učnih načrtov in založniki učbenikov lahko izkoristijo ta spoznanja za oblikovanje gradiv, ki ustrezajo potrebam in interesom mlajših učencev angleščine kot tujega jezika, ter tako spodbujajo njihov jezikovni razvoj na izvirne in za učence privlačne načine. Ključne besede: prilagojena literarna besedila, izvirna literarna besedila, kultura, učbeniki, mlajši učenci angleščine kot tujega jezika c e p s Journal 3 Introduction English language teaching (ELT) materials cover anything presenting or informing about the language being learned, as defined by Tomlinson (1998) and McGrath (2013). Gray (2016, p. 95) categorises materials into three types: 1) published materials (such as textbooks, audio-visual aids, workbooks, dic - tionaries, guided readers and online courses); 2) authentic materials (such as newspapers, magazines, songs, etc., not originally intended for pedagogical use but brought into the classroom by teachers); and 3) teacher-made materials, a diverse range of practice materials designed by teachers. T extbooks, also known as coursebooks, are the most prevalent form of published material (Gray, 2016), sparking debates over their use. Nevertheless, they remain “an important pa - rameter in education studies and textbook choice a relevant factor for educa - tion practice” (Japelj Pavešić & Cankar, 2022, p. 31). Textbooks may offer crucial support to teachers by saving time in con - tent creation and aligning with subject curricula. According to McGrath (2013), the advantages of textbooks can be summed up as reducing the time needed for lesson preparation; providing a visible, coherent programme of work; provid - ing support; providing a convenient resource for learners; making standardised instruction possible; presenting material in a visually appealing way; presenting cultural artefacts; and offering a wealth of extra materials. T extbooks play a vital role in developing communicative and intercultural competence, and fostering student autonomy in language acquisition. Furthermore, they provide a per - spective on both the target and source cultures, acting as starting points for acquiring content about the target language culture (Petravić, 2010; Andraka, 2020). Petravić (2010) emphasises that textbooks should be seen as a meeting point of cultures. They also serve as guides, especially when accompanied by teaching manuals, offering on-the-job training for novice teachers (McGrath, 2002; Richards, 2014). On the other hand, textbooks are not immune to criticism. Brumfit (1980, p. 3) particularly criticises textbooks for potentially deskilling teachers and po - sitioning them as mere conveyors of content. Concerns also arise about their problematic status as educational tools and commodities. Furthermore, from the students’ perspective, Rijavec (2015, p. 119) asserts that artificially constructed texts disregard learners’ interests, underestimate their intellectual capacities, and present a simplified version of what adults consider a child’s world should be. In the Croatian context of teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL), the relevance and reliance on textbooks is indisputable. In the ELLiE longitudinal study (2006–2010) (Enever, 2011), Croatia was listed first among in search of authentic and adapted literary texts in textbooks for young ... 4 four countries in which coursebooks were widely used. This is not surprising if we take into consideration the fact that textbooks are available to both teachers and students, as opposed to authentic materials, which teachers and students might find challenging to obtain. Moreover, in terms of the limited time des - ignated for English lessons in school (two or three hours per week) and the curriculum demands that must be met within this framework, textbooks seem to be a logical solution, as they cater to the curriculum (Cindrić & Milković, 2023). What is more, for teachers, stories in textbooks can be timesavers, as the texts are already adapted and accompanying materials and follow-up activities are provided (Dagarin Fojkar et al., 2013). Textbooks published by national and foreign publishers generally align well with the competencies and learning outcomes stipulated in the Croa - tian curriculum for English. In addition to using textbooks and supplemen - tary teaching materials, teachers can also incorporate adapted and authentic teaching materials, along with digital, interactive and multimedia content. As outlined in the curriculum, students should be active participants in the ma - terial selection process, thus encouraging their autonomy and responsibility for learning. The chosen teaching materials, whether selected by the teacher or with student involvement, should be meaningful and comprehensible, fos - tering the exploration and questioning of knowledge, assumptions, ideas and behaviour, thus positively influencing the development of critical and creative thinking (Kurikulum nastavnog predmeta Engleski jezik za osnovne škole i gimnazije, 2019, p. 158). While it is important to bear in mind that “language and culture are mutually integrated” (Kirkgöz & Ağçam, 2011, p. 154), the use of literary texts is also important for developing communicative and intercultural language com - petence. Several formats of authentic literary materials for children are used by teachers, most commonly rhymes, which Opie and Opie (1967, p. 17) categorise into those that are essential to the regulation of games and children’s relation - ships with each other, including dips and skipping rhymes, and those that are “mere expressions of exuberance”, including jingles, slogans, nonsense verse, tongue twisters, scary rhymes and jokes. These are followed by various multi - modal formats of children’ s literature (Bland, 2018, pp. 271–276), such as picture books, graphic novels, story apps, plays, chapter books, graded readers and oth - ers. This aspect has been recognised by textbook publishers and such texts are also included in textbooks for learning English as a foreign language. In text - books, they appear either in their authentic form or as adapted versions, usually accompanied by illustrations provided by the publishers of the textbooks. c e p s Journal 5 In the present study, literary texts are understood as “fiction written for children to read for pleasure, rather than for didactic purposes” (Ghosn, 2002, p. 172). Literature, then, offers “authentic language – works which have not been written specifically with the foreign learner in mind” (Elliott de Riverol, 1991, p. 66), but to engage native readers in genuine narrative experiences. Authentic literary texts encourage language development, reflect real language use and offer students authentic language experiences from various contexts. Adapted literary texts are often abridged and go through a series of language changes deemed necessary to provide learners with a text suitable for their needs, as well as for their cognitive and linguistic levels (Cindrić & Milković, 2023). Nev - ertheless, even adapted texts can contribute to students’ language development, as they can represent a bridge between students’ current language abilities and authentic literary texts, which could potentially be too demanding. Research problem Previous studies on the use of literary texts in teaching English as a foreign language have underlined teachers’ heavy reliance on textbooks in the Croatian educational setting (Cindrić & Milković, 2023; Cindrić et al., 2024). Given the significant role of authentic literary texts in foreign language learn - ing (Bland, 2018; Ghosn, 2018; Mourão, 2015; Narančić Kovač, 1999, 2019), the present study aims to investigate the extent to which Croatian EFL textbooks for fourth-grade learners incorporate authentic and adapted Anglophone liter - ary texts. Specifically, the research addresses the following research problem: T o what extent do Croatian EFL textbooks for fourth-grade learners incorporate authentic and adapted Anglophone literary texts, and how are these texts uti - lised in terms of genre, activities, cultural elements and pedagogical rationale? Research questions The research questions of the study are as follows: RQ1: What is the nature of the literary texts in terms of authenticity – are they authentic texts or adaptations? RQ2: Do the texts differ across literary genres? RQ3: What activities are associated with the literary texts? RQ4: Are the literary texts accompanied by tasks relating to cultural elements? RQ5: What are the possible reasons for including these literary texts in textbooks? in search of authentic and adapted literary texts in textbooks for young ... 6 Method Sample The research sample comprises the corpus of all of the English language textbooks approved for use in the fourth grade of Croatian primary schools (the fourth year of learning English) for the 2022/2023 school year. As shown in Table 1, there are six textbooks in total: three compiled by local (Croatian) au - thors (A, B and C), and three global textbooks by foreign authors (D, E and F). All of the textbooks are published in A4 format (297 x 210 mm), or in slightly smaller dimensions (e.g., textbooks A and F are published in 270 x 210 mm dimensions). Although similar in format, the number of pages varies greatly, with two textbooks over 150 pages, two textbooks around 120 pages, and two textbooks with only around 80 pages. Nevertheless, all of the textbooks meet the standard and curriculum requirements and were consequently approved for the use in grade 4 of Croatian schools. Table 1 The research corpus Title Authors Publisher First published Total no. of pages Label Croatian Dip in 4 Suzana Ban, Dubravka Blažić Školska knjiga 2021 152 A New Building Blocks 4 Kristina Čajo Anđel, Daška Domljan, Mia Šavrljuga Profil Klett 2021 116 B Tiptoes 4 Anita Žepina, Suzana Anić-Antić, Suzana Ban Školska knjiga 2021 159 C Global Let’s Explore 4 Nina Laude, Suzanne Torres, Paul Shipton Oxford University Press 2021 79 D Poptropica 3 Sagrario Salaberri, Viv Lambert Pearson (Ljevak) 2017 80 E Smileys 4 Jenny Dooley, Virginia Evans Express Publishing (Alfa) 2013 120 F Textbook A is authored by Croatian authors and published in Croatia. It consists of 152 pages and contains six units plus a Special Days unit, which covers the topics of Halloween, Christmas and Easter. Each unit is divided into three to five lessons followed by a Reading Club topic, except the last unit. Each unit has a Language in Focus section as well as Revision Activities offered at the end of the unit. The textbook ends with a Word List and an abstract from the c e p s Journal 7 Croatian Curriculum for English. It also provides codes for digital content ( e sfera ) and an access code for opening digital editions of the book ( mozaweb). Textbook B is also authored by Croatian authors and published in Croa - tia. It has 116 pages. The content of the textbook is organised into six units divided into four lessons, followed by assessment and self-assessment tasks. Unlike textbook A, textbook B has an introductory unit, a final unit and an appendix. The appendix includes two stories: Ronnie’s Christmas Pudding and The Little Red Hen. It is followed by Ronnie’s Grammar Den, which focuses on the grammar presented in the textbook, a tape script, a wordlist and an excerpt from the curriculum. Textbook B is also accompanied by digital content. Textbook C is published by the Croatian publisher Školska knjiga and has 159 pages in total. The content of the textbook is divided into ten units, with the first unit being introductory and the last unit including holiday topics (Christmas and Easter). The units in between are further divided into five to seven lessons, followed by self-assessment tasks and suggestions for a project. In addition, all of the units focus on different topics and describe explicit in - tended outcomes of the lessons. The textbook ends with a wordlist, tape scripts, curriculum outcomes and project time cut-outs. Textbook D is published by Oxford University Press. Its 79 pages are divided into six units, consisting of vocabulary, structures, and cross-curricular and cultural topics. The textbook has an appendix comprising festivals (Christ - mas, World Book Day), culture units (Triko Cirkus Teatar, Diocletian’s Palace, Cities in Croatia, Sports in Croatia, and Schools in Britain and Croatia), an additional language unit on ordinal numbers, a proposal for a project on plastic (The Plastic Problem), cut-outs for each unit and a wordlist. Textbook E is published by Pearson Education Limited and has 96 pag - es. The content of the textbook is divided into ten units, the first unit being an introductory unit. The units mostly focus on language and vocabulary, while the last unit (Wider World) is organised somewhat differently and contains four lessons in which children from around the world (Canada, South Africa, France, Mexico, Borneo, England, Kenya, Spain, Russia, Argentina, Ireland, China, Peru, United Kingdom) introduce a variety of intercultural topics (in - cluding how they spend their weekends, the kinds of wildlife parks in their countries, their heroes/role models and what brings them happiness). The text - book ends with an appendix that contains a Goodbye Lesson, festivals (Christ - mas, Mother’s Day) and cut-out pages for each unit. The textbook also provides an access code to digital content. Textbook F is published by the British/Greek publishing house Express Publishing and is brought to the Croatian market through an intermediary, the in search of authentic and adapted literary texts in textbooks for young ... 8 Croatian publishing house Alfa. It contains 120 pages. The content is present - ed in five modules divided into eleven units (a starter unit and ten additional units). Each module is followed by Storytime and Checkpoints with revision tasks. Storytime lessons present five stories from different parts of the world: Denmark, Indonesia, Bulgaria, Jamaica and Russia. The textbook ends with an appendix that includes revision tasks (My Magazine for modules 1 to 5), spe - cial days lessons (Halloween, Bonfire Night, Christmas, St Valentine’s Day and Easter), an eco-friendly lesson and a glossary. Research instrument All of the textbooks include narratives in various forms. Content analy - sis, which is considered to be the most appropriate method for analysing the content of a textbook (Mužić, 1977; Bognar & Matijević, 2002; Milković, 2023), was used to gather data from the corpus. An instrument designed specifically for the purpose of this research allowed the researchers to record narratives and their characteristics, and to categorise them appropriately. The instrument included categories such as the narrative’s title, type, genre, authorship and ac - companying tasks, as well as other relevant details. Furthermore, it was essen - tial to classify the literary texts based on their cultural origin. For this study, the texts were categorised as belonging to the target culture (Anglophone), the source culture (in this case, Croatian) or other cultures (neither Croatian nor Anglophone). These categories facilitated the systematic recording and classi - fication of a substantial volume of data related to the narratives. Consequently, it was possible to extract literary texts (in various forms) from the Anglophone and other cultures that were not authored by the textbook authors. The ex - tracted literary texts included both authentic literary texts and adaptations. A number of changes to the authentic texts and adaptations were carried out by the textbook authors, but intertextual and cultural connections with a foreign (non-Croatian) culture were preserved. Research design All of the textbooks within the corpus were analysed according to the content analysis method. Accordingly, 23 literary texts (not authored by the text - book authors) in various forms (authentic texts and adaptations) were recorded, as shown in Table 2. T extbooks D and E do not contain literary texts that meet the criteria and were therefore excluded from further analysis, while the remaining four textbooks each incorporate five to seven literary texts in total. c e p s Journal 9 Table 2 The number of recorded literary texts across the corpus Textbook Number of literary texts from the target culture Number of literary texts from other cultures Total number of literary texts A 3 4 7 B 5 5 C 2 4 6 D 0 E 0 F 1 4 5 Total 11 12 23 The literary texts from Anglophone cultures and accompanying activi - ties were further analysed with respect to the research questions. The first two research questions required an analysis of the literary texts and their origin, including comparisons to their authentic versions in the case of adaptations. The remaining three questions focused on the accompanying activities in the textbooks, which were analysed in three steps. The first step was to identify which types of activities were associated with the literary texts. For this purpose, the accompanying activities were categorised as pre-reading, while-reading or after-reading activities and evaluated according to the follow - ing criteria: How many activities arise from the literary text? Are the activities designed to develop one or more language skills? Are the activities meaningful, i.e., affectively and cognitively engaging (cf. Tomlinson & Masuhara, 2018, p. 133)? The number of activities associated with a literary text can provide val - uable insights into the extent to which the text is used to promote language learning (skill development) and cultural understanding. In the following step, the activities (which were not necessarily in close vicinity to the literary text) were taken into consideration in order to decide whether the texts were used in connection with cultural elements. In the last step, answers to the set research questions were considered in order to deduce possible reasons for the inclusion of the literary texts in the textbooks. in search of authentic and adapted literary texts in textbooks for young ... 10 Results and discussion The total number of literary texts in the analysed textbooks is relatively small (23), and it is evident that the global (non-Croatian) textbooks contain fewer literary texts than the local (Croatian) textbooks, in some cases having no literary texts at all. Global textbooks D and E have fewer pages than the Croa - tian textbooks and do not contain literary texts. It seems that by aiming at an international audience and expanding the content of the textbook to fit a broad set of demands in order to enable wider use on an international scale, textbooks lose literary and cultural connections with the source and the target culture, in this case Croatian and Anglophone culture, respectively. The only explicit sig - nal of the target culture is the language that is taught, which is in fact often part of the textbook authors’ source culture (in the case of textbooks D and E). This finding is aligned with research by Rathert and Cabaroğlu (2022), who found that local textbooks provide materials that provide foreign language learners with opportunities to compare the target language and culture with their own, while global textbooks often need to be adjusted for a specific cultural setting. Textbooks A, B, C and F contain a total of 23 literary texts, as shown in Table 2. Of these 23 texts, 11 belong to Anglophone culture (British, American and Australian culture), while 12 texts can be linked to other cultures. Texts from other cultures can be divided into two categories: well-known stories of European heritage (7) and stories from other cultures around the world (5). The European stories include fairy tales by Hans Christian Andersen (three fairy tales), from Aesop’s fables (two fables), a story inspired by the fairy tale Cinderella , and an - other story inspired by the picture book Palle Alone in the World by Danish au - thor Jens Sigsgaard. Stories from cultures around the world are usually explicitly linked to the particular cultures in their subtitles (e.g., An Indian Tale (A), A Story from Bulgaria (F), A Story from Jamaica (F)) as well as to the illustrations that ac - company the texts. However, we could not confirm that these stories truly origi - nated in the cultures proposed in the subtitles due to heavy adaptation and story elements that are usually repeated in different folk tales around the world (e.g., the character of Anansi the Spider, which originated in the culture of the Ashanti people in Ghana, but is also a part of Jamaican folk literature; or An Indian Tale (A), which is not linked to a specific tribe and easily falls into the trap of cultural appropriation and misrepresentation in the accompanying illustrations). There are no texts originating in Croatian culture. However, some liter - ary texts are international classics and thus also belong to the Croatian canon of children’s literature. For example, stories inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tales or Perrault’s Cinderella , as well as the picture book Palle Alone in the c e p s Journal 11 World, are well known to every Croatian child reader in the fourth grade. The inclusion of international literature in textbooks can be interpreted as an at - tempt to foster multiculturalism and intercultural understanding among young learners. On the other hand, textbook authors tend to include stories that are closer to Croatian culture and the experience of Croatian readers. This is of - ten the case when including texts from other cultures in educational materials (Milković, 2023). In order to answer the research questions, the 11 Anglophone texts were further analysed with respect to the story, language, genre (Table 3), and ac - companying tasks and activities. Table 3 Anglophone literary texts in EFL textbooks for the fourth grade in Croatia Title Author Culture Genre Authenticity Textbook Note 1 Old McDonald [sic!] had a farm traditional British / American Rhyme/ song Authentic A One verse of the poem containing “moo-moo” (cow) 2 Jingle Bells traditional American Rhyme/ song Authentic A All three verses – fill in words 3 Humpty Dumpty traditional British Nursery rhyme Story adaptation A One of five presented verses is authentic 4 Goldilocks and the Three Bears traditional British Fairy tale Language adaptation B Story in the present tense 5 Kookaburra Marion Sinclair Australian Nursery rhyme/ Song Authentic B 6 The Animal Fair traditional British Rhyme Language adaptation B Modern version of a traditional song 7 Miss Polly has a Dolly traditional British / American Rhyme/ Song Language adaptation B Present simple 8 The Little Red Hen traditional British / American Story Partial language and story adaptation B 9 The Three Kind Wolves and the Big Bully traditional British Fairy tale Story and language adapted C Story presented in two lessons through reading and listening 10 The Story of a Hat Dr Seuss American Picture book Story and language adapted C Story conveyed through reading and listening 11 The Yellow Giraffe popular British / American Rhyme/ Song Authentic F in search of authentic and adapted literary texts in textbooks for young ... 12 The first research question requires categorising the Anglophone liter - ary texts into two categories: authentic texts and adaptations. The textbooks contain four authentic literary texts: Old McDonald [sic!] had a farm (A), Jingle Bells (A), Kookaburra (B) and The Yellow Giraffe (F). All of these authentic liter - ary texts are rhymes presented as songs and sing-alongs. Old McDonald [sic!] had a farm , a traditional rhyme in which the name MacDonald is abbreviated (it is unclear whether it was abbreviated on purpose to establish a connection to the McDonald’s fast food chain, which is presumably well known to Croa - tian children) is presented through one five-line verse about a cow, but can be expanded in the following task, which includes other farm animals presenting singular and plural forms. Jingle Bells , Kookaburra and The Yellow Giraffe are presented in full and in their original form with authentic language. The remaining seven literary texts underwent certain changes in com - parison to the original (authentic) texts. These changes fall into two categories: linguistic changes and changes of the story. The latter is perhaps expected with fairy tales and picture books, where logic demands practical changes regarding the length of the story in order to maintain coherence. However, the stories are also adapted to fit an educational purpose and to offer a moral that is absent from the original. The Three Kind Wolves and the Big Bully (C) is a modern adaptation of the traditional British fairy tale The Three Little Pigs . The three little wolves represent three possible types of children today: the first little wolf is lazy and listens to music all day long, the second little wolf is always tired because he plays Minecraft (a popular video game) all night, and the third lit - tle wolf is patient and hard-working. They built houses in accordance with the traditional version of the story, but the big mean Bully Pig came and blew their houses down. In the end, Bully Pig got stuck in the chimney and the wolves helped him to freedom, followed by a happy ending in which the bully changed for the better. Not only does this story deal with bullies, it also offers a happy ending entangled with a difficult modern topic. A similar didactic happy ending is offered in The Story of a Hat (C), which is actually an adaptation of the picture book The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cub - bins by Dr Seuss. Written in the author’s recognisable nonsensical and light tone, the original story features a young boy, Bartholomew Cubbins, who was unable to remove his hat in front of the King: the moment he removed one hat, there imme - diately appeared another. It was decided that the boy should be punished by being thrown from the highest tower. As they started to climb to the top of the tower, the boy frantically tried to get rid of his hats faster and faster, and each time the next hat was more and more extravagant. The last, 500 th hat was filled with gems, feathers and gilding, so the King decided to buy all of the hats. In the end, the boy c e p s Journal 13 not only saved his own life, but also went back home rich. In the adapted textbook version, the story is abridged and the nonsensical and humorous features are re - moved, thus turning it into a moral tale. At the beginning of the adaptation, the King is greedy and mean. Bartholomew Cubbins has the same problem as in the original story: he could not take off his hat in front of the King because the next hat magically reappeared. However, when the King kindly asked the boy to sell all of these beautiful hats, the hats stopped reappearing and the whole experience turned the King into a kind and friendly king. Adaptations that fall into the category of linguistic changes include changes from past to present tenses, omissions and changes of some expres - sions. For example, in the rhyme Miss Polly (B), the language is almost com - pletely authentic, except that all of the past tenses are substituted with the same verbs in present tenses. Thus, the line “Miss Polly had a dolly” is changed into “Miss Polly has a dolly” . Consequently, all of the subsequent verbs follow the same logic. The same kind of tense shift is present in The Animal Fair (B), The Three Kind Wolves and the Big Bully (C) and The Story of a Hat (C). Partial language adaptation is also present in Goldilocks and the Three Bears (B) and The Little Red Hen (B). In the latter, the verbs throughout the story are limited to present simple tense, which breaks down the narrative and creates the effect of describing the accompanying illustrations. However, in the next to the last scene, the Little Red Hen’s famous monologue is authentic: “Y ou didn’t help me plant the wheat. You didn’t help me cut the wheat. You didn’t help me take the wheat to the mill. You didn’t help me make the bread.” The rest of her mono - logue is didactically adapted to fit in with the topic of Easter: “But it is Easter today, and you can eat it. ” (B, p. 89) While there are no changes to the story Goldilocks and the Three Bears , it is conveyed through present tenses: “This is Goldilocks. She is a little girl, but she is very curious. [...] ‘I’m so hungry!’ Goldilocks says. ” (B, p. 21) However, at the end of the story there is no way around using present perfect tense, still accompanied by the illogical use of the present tense: “Someone has eaten Baby Bear’ s porridge!’ says Daddy Bear. ” (B, p. 21). It seems that in order to avoid past tenses, which are perhaps omitted due to being perceived as too difficult for young learners, while at the same time employing a complex structure such as present perfect, the result is an illogical mix of tenses not inherent to narration, which is “essentially related to the past tense” (Narančić Kovač & Milković, 2015, p. 110.) Similar to the previous example, the rhyme Humpty Dumpty (A) is ex - panded from its authentic form of a riddle into a sing-along. The first three verses are in the present (simple and participle), followed by just one authentic verse containing the past tense of the modal verb – “ All the king’s horses / And in search of authentic and adapted literary texts in textbooks for young ... 14 all the king’s men / Couldn’t put Humpty / T ogether again. ” – only to finish with the verse: “Humpty Dumpty was / A funny eggman! / Humpty Dumpty’s gone now / Forget him if you can!” (A, p. 147) The result is somewhat illogical and hardly translatable into any kind of story, since “narratives concern the past” (Martin, 1986, p. 74). Since one of the benefits of authentic literature in EFL concerns exposure to authentic language expressions, it seems incomprehensi - ble to change simple past tenses into present tenses, only to leave more complex language structures such as present perfect. The result is an “unnatural Eng - lish for language instruction” (Narančić Kovač & Milković, 2015, p. 111). Ghosn (2018) finds this delay of past tense verbs in Teaching English to Y oung Learn - ers (TEYL) courses at lower levels troubling, as it does not reflect language in use. She exemplifies this with the finding from a brief search of the British National Corpus (www.natcorp.ox.ac.uk), which yielded 195,306 instances of said , but only 67,135 of say (p. 385). According to Escott (1995), “the absence of the past verb tense also denies children the opportunity to talk about things meaningful to them, such as interesting experiences they had or stories they have heard, which would enable them to ‘create their own personal history’ in the new language” (p. 20). Furthermore, Ghosn (2018) claims that “although we know that children’s L2 development occurs in a sequence, with past-tense forms emerging after present, it does not follow that we should not expose them to past-tense verb forms early on” (p. 385). The author provides the example of The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, where ‘ate’ is used frequently, while ‘eat’ is absent. This observation aligns with the experiences of many L2 teachers, who note that children can pick up past tense verbs like ‘ate’ even when unfa - miliar with the present tense form. The second research question was “Do the texts differ across literary genres?” Seven of the eleven recorded literary texts are rhymes, including nurs - ery rhymes, poems and songs. The other literary texts are classified as fairy tales (two texts), a traditional story (one text) and a picture book (one text). It is evident that the authors choose mostly songs and rhymes, which are short, easy to remember, well known and often accompanied by music, making them easy to remember and sing along to. García Conesa and Juan Rubio (2015) sug - gest that introducing rhymes and songs into Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) for young children enhances enthusiasm for learning, and that rhymes and songs are a great teaching resource that provide “good insight into the English culture” (p. 98). Stories and fairy tales need to be abridged and adapted to fit the allotted space in the textbook and not to burden young learners with too much text. The latter goes hand in hand with different ways in which stories are delivered, i.e., through a combination of written and audio c e p s Journal 15 media, sometimes occupying two or even three lessons. Such texts are also bur - dened with didacticism underlining some of the important thoughts or mes - sages for young learners, changing a whimsical picture book or a traditional fairy tale into a moral tale. In response to the third research question (“What activities are associ - ated with the texts?”), 40 activities were recorded in total. Some activities were compound tasks containing more than one instruction for the learner, e.g., a pre- reading task appearing before Goldilocks and the Three Bears (“Look at the title. What is the story about? Circle the correct answer.” (B, p. 20)), where the task consists of several activities in which the learner is guided in making predictions about the story. Every literary text is accompanied by at least two activities con - nected to the text, with the exception of the song Jingle Bells (A), which is incor - porated into the Christmas topic: the only activity connected to the song is simply the words “Sing along” (A, p. 146). However, it is actually a compound task: it is also a fill-in activity with missing words offered next to the text. Not all of the texts are accompanied by pre-reading activities, as there are only nine pre-reading activities in total. Six of these activities introduce vocabulary used in the texts that might be unknown to learners or is further used in the lesson, as is the case with the names of animals used for teaching singular vs plural nouns next to Old McDonald [sic!] had a farm (A). Three of the pre-reading activities are literature-oriented, as they are aimed at introduc - ing either the topic or the main character of the text, e.g., “Look at this funny eggman. His name is Humpty Dumpty.” (A, p. 147), which is a visual cue that can spark students’ curiosity and encourage them to ask questions about the main character and the rhyme. All of the texts have while-reading (or while-listening) activities (15 al - together), which rarely include any actual learners’ activity. Usually the instruc - tions are simply to “sing along” (A, p. 33, p. 146, p. 147), “listen and sing” (B, p. 44, p. 80) or “listen and read” (B, p. 56, p. 88). However, this category also in - cludes examples of activities aimed at language skills, e.g., “Listen to the end of the story and put the sentences in the correct order” (C, p. 22), which is, accord - ing to Brewster et al. (2002), a type of “Listen and sequence activity” intended to “improve memory and concentration span” as well as “to encourage mental activity and problem-solving” (p. 104). Moreover, several of the while-reading activities are used to separate a lengthy story into two parts by inviting students to make predictions (“What do you think happens next?” (C, p. 64)) and to fo - cus on understanding the story (“Read the story and fill in the gaps” (C, p. 65)). It is encouraging that some of the authentic literary texts found their way into the textbooks solely for the purpose of enjoyment and relaxation, as in in search of authentic and adapted literary texts in textbooks for young ... 16 the case of Jingle Bells (A) and Humpty Dumpty (A), which are not followed by any particular post-reading activities. The post-reading activities identified in the textbooks usually focus on reading comprehension (e.g., “ Are the sentences true (T) or false (F)?” after Goldilocks and the Three Bears (B, p. 20); “Put the sentences in the correct order” after Miss Polly has a Dolly (B, p. 81)) or practis - ing grammar (e.g., matching singular vs plural forms after Old McDonald [sic!] had a farm (A, p. 3). The former is a step towards understanding the narrative, as well as towards encouraging memory and logical thinking, as suggested by Brewster et al. (2002, p. 169) in connection with the use of Miss Polly had a Dolly in ELT lessons together with added movement and dramatisations. While it certainly is a viable option, it is not clear from the textbook instructions them - selves whether learners are actually encouraged to accompany the text with movement while reciting or singing. A notable exception aimed at developing imagination and critical think - ing is an activity following The Little Red Hen : “What would you do if you were the Little Red Hen? Why?” (B, p. 89). Although there are two suggestions ex - plicitly stated as possible answers to these questions (“I would let my friends eat the bread” and “I wouldn’t let my friends eat the bread”), it is still a good ex - ample of literature-aimed activities and dialogic reading in which learners “use language for thinking, make connections to things they already know, [...] and give reasons for what they say” (Waugh et al., 2016, p. 12). However, activities aimed at critical thinking, diverse interpretations and exploration of learners’ attitudes are scarce. Another good example of extensive activities that follow a literary text is provided in the textbook containing the stories The Three Kind Wolves and the Big Bully and The Story of a Hat . In the former case, learners are prompted to change the ending of the story and to make a comic. The task is feasible and clear, as task achievement is precisely defined: “Draw three pictures and write a couple of sentences” (C, p. 23). The learners are then encouraged to use the comic to tell their version of the story to the class, with the added prompt “You can even act it out” (C, p. 23). Aiming at writing and speaking skills, learners are gradually guided to employ their creativity and accomplish the task before them. Finally, they are challenged to venture into speech pro - duction by stepping away from the written prompt (which comes in handy as a safety net) and acting out their own version of the story. This activity exempli - fies tasks that young learners find potentially enjoyable. Although empirical evidence confirms that authentic literary texts can help students to learn languages in a meaningful and relevant way regardless of their cultural background (Ghosn, 2013), it seems that even when authentic literary texts are included in textbooks, there is an evident lack of meaningful c e p s Journal 17 activities. More precisely, the analysed activities in most cases fail to engage learn - ers on an affective and cognitive level and are more similar to closed exercises (cf. Tomlinson, 2015). Puchta and Williams (2011) emphasise two reasons for using meaningful activities with young learners: the first highlights learners’ cognitive engagement and their need to be adequately challenged with the activity, while the second concerns language itself, which is used naturally in meaningful com - munication, for real-life purposes. Instructions such as sing along, or read and listen might be somewhat meaningful if learners are actually interested in the literary text, but do not offer adequate cognitive or affective enjoyment. In order to answer the fourth research question (“ Are the texts accompa - nied by tasks relating to cultural elements?”), the analysis considered activities from both the preceding and subsequent lessons that accompanied the literary texts. Interestingly, in addition to the fact that a literary text, particularly an au - thentic text, inherently represents the source culture and has cultural potential (cf. Milković, 2023), all of the analysed texts are further explicitly connected to cultural topics, with the exception of the song Old McDonald [sic!] had a farm (A), which focuses solely on vocabulary and grammar exercises. Connections to cultural elements appear in two similar ways: either the literary text appears as part of a specific cultural topic (e.g., Humpty Dumpty (A), The Little Red Hen (B) for Easter, Jingle Bells (A) for Christmas) or it is connected to a broader cul - tural topic (e.g., Goldilocks and the Three Bears is followed by a Culture Corner about the British Royal Family (B); The Animal Fair is followed by a Culture Corner focused on animals from around the world (B); The Yellow Giraffe is followed by a segment entitled Our World, containing short texts about chil - dren from Australia and Italy (F); Miss Polly has a Dolly is followed by a Cul - ture Corner about “Doctors without borders” (B), etc.). The song Kookaburra (B) is also followed by a Culture Corner about Australia, which is similar to a suggestion by Brewster et al. (2002): Kookaburra is an example of employing songs, rhymes and chants from around the world to learn about the world and to develop “world knowledge and sensitize children to different rhythms and tunes” (p. 170). Although some teachers might not always make the connection between literary texts and culture, as was evident from a comparative study of Slovenian and Croatian teachers and their use of stories in TEFL (Cindrić et al., 2024), it is obvious that textbook authors are aware of the cultural potential of literary texts. Since Croatian teachers rely heavily on textbooks in teaching, it is safe to assume that they will make use of these activities and add the (inter) cultural dimension to their teaching. Finally, to answer the last research question, which concerns the ration - ale behind including literary texts in the textbooks, the analysis considered the in search of authentic and adapted literary texts in textbooks for young ... 18 insights gained from the answers to the previous research questions. Since liter - ary texts appear exclusively in the local textbooks (with an exception of The Yel- low Giraffe (F), which is used for grammar purposes), it would seem that Croa - tian authors of EFL textbooks are aware of the linguistic and cultural potential of literature. It is a valuable starting point for compiling interesting, meaningful and challenging textbooks, since coursebooks do “not challenge the learners to negotiate meaning or engage them affectively or cognitively” (Bacha et al., 2008, p. 286) in the way that children’s literature in TEFL does (Ghosn, 2010). Although there are some literature-based activities, literary texts most fre - quently appear in textbooks for the purpose of practising language expressions, as is evident from the example of The Yellow Giraffe (F): the rhyme appears at the beginning of a new lesson and serves as an introductory exercise for animal vocabulary and for practising the modal verb can ; it is short, consisting of eight lines forming four couplets; it is written in the present simple tense; and it can be sung to a catchy melody. The next possible reason for the inclusion of literary texts is vocabulary expansion, which is often connected to special topics des - tined to be used on special days of the week, e.g., The Little Red Hen (B) before Easter, or Jingle Bells (A) at Christmas time. Literary texts are sometimes connected to other cultural topics from the source culture (Croatian, e.g., Easter) or other cultures (e.g., the topic Clothes around the World after The Story of a Hat (C)). However, it is textbook authors who can recognise the potential of literary texts and use their potential for ex - ploring various cultural topics. Conclusion The study focused on authentic and adapted literary texts in textbooks (both local and global) designed for Grade 4 EFL learners in Croatia. Literary texts that originated in the Anglophone culture were further analysed with regard to their authenticity, text genre, activities associated with the texts, related cultur - al elements, and possible reasons for the inclusion of such texts in the textbooks. The study revealed significant differences between local and global text - books regarding the number of literary texts from Croatian and Anglophone culture. In aiming at an international audience, global textbooks indeed include a variety of cultural elements from cultures around the world, but at the expense of the target Anglophone culture and authenticity. Croatian EFL textbooks in - corporate Anglophone literary texts as well as texts from other cultures, which suggests an awareness among Croatian authors and publishers of the impor - tance of such texts in textbooks. This is particularly noteworthy considering c e p s Journal 19 Croatia’s tradition of teaching English in lower primary grades and the wealth of academic literature on the topic. The authentic literary texts identified in the textbooks are rhymes presented as rhymes and/or songs, which is convenient with respect to their length, their possible use of a catchy melody, and their potential for enabling the memorisation of bigger chunks of authentic language. In contrast, stories and picture books are more likely to be adapted. Two types of adaptations are present, sometimes overlapping: linguistic adaptation and changes to the story. While story adaptations in the sense of shortening the length of stories is logi - cal due to space restrictions, explicit didacticism and moralistic stories might not always be the best choice, as they might have a negative impact on learn - ers’ enjoyment in reading. Linguistic changes in the adaptations are even less feasible; they usually appear in textbooks as a consequence of the shift from past tense, which is naturally associated with stories and storytelling, to present tense, which is often considered more appropriate for young learners. However, the fact that the authenticity of such language is irreversibly lost should not be easily dismissed. Literary texts in textbooks are almost always also connected to An - glophone culture and occasionally to other cultures around the world, which might be one reason for their inclusion in the textbooks. Among the other rea - sons is their potential to develop and practise language skills and simply offer students enjoyment and relaxation. This latter goal of fostering a love for read - ing in a foreign language is certainly commendable. While avoiding unneces - sary adaptations remains crucial, activities following literary texts should be designed to provide enjoyment and exploration of literature, to invite multiple interpretations, and to promote meaningful language interactions. The basis is already established by choosing authentic literary texts, but well-designed activities can unlock their full potential. Finally, it is clear that publishers are trying to meet the curriculum guidelines, and indeed, some include literary texts, both original and adapted. However, the experience of reading an original text in a textbook can hardly satisfy the needs of teachers and students in terms of reception and reading ex - perience to the degree that an actual picture book or book can. This leads us to the conclusion that, whenever possible, the original text should be an artefact. In this way, it is possible to achieve the reception of the story and illustrations, and to encourage students to reflect, question, be creative and use their imagi - nation, which is proven to have a significant impact on learners’ comprehen - sion and enjoyment (Batič & Haramija, 2015). Making contact with a book is an important step in the child’s realisation that reading is not only enjoyable but in search of authentic and adapted literary texts in textbooks for young ... 20 also beneficial. On the other hand, teachers should recognise authentic picture books or books as valuable and rich teaching materials. The present study focused only on fourth-grade English textbooks in Croatia and therefore limits generalisation. In order to understand how literary texts are included in textbooks across primary school grades, future research should analyse textbooks for various levels. This comprehensive approach would provide valuable guidance for textbook authors and publishers on inte - grating literary texts effectively. However, regardless of its limitations, the study is useful for both future and present teachers of EFL in terms of shifting the focus to textbook elements such as literary texts, which are frequently easily overlooked. Shedding light on this matter contributes to raising awareness of the linguistic and cultural potential of literary texts in EFL textbooks. Ethical statement The research study was approved by the Faculty of Teacher Education, University of Zagreb Ethics Committee. Disclosure statement The authors have no conflict of interest to declare. References Andraka, M. (2020). Strani jezik, udžbenik i kultura [Foreign language, textbook and culture]. Učiteljski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu. Bacha, N., Ghosn, I., & McBeath, N. (2008). The textbook, the teacher and the learner: Middle- Eastern perspective. In B. Tomlinson, & H. Masuhara (Eds.), English language learning materials: A critical review (pp. 281–299). Continuum. Ban, S., & Blažić, D. (2021). Dip in 4. Školska knjiga. Batič, J., & Haramija, D. (2015). The importance of visual reading for the interpretation of a literary text. Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal, 5 (4), 31–49. Bland, J. (2018). Learning through Literature. In S. Garton, & F. Copland (Eds.), The Routledge hand - book of teaching English to young learners (pp. 269–288). Routledge. Bognar, L., & Matijević, M. (2002). Didaktika [Didactics]. Školska knjiga. Brewster, J., Ellis, G., & Girard, D. (2002). The primary English teacher’s guide. New edition. Penguin English. Brumfit, C. J. (1980). From defining to designing: Communicative specifications versus communica - tive methodology in foreign language teaching. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 3(1), 1–9. c e p s Journal 21 Cindrić, I., & Milković, I. (2023). Storytime in English language teaching – teachers’ practices, at - titudes, and challenges. ELOPE: English Language Overseas Perspectives and Enquiries , 20(2), 83–101. https://doi.org/10.4312/elope.20.2.83-101 Cindrić, I., Milković, I., Rozmanič, T., & Dagarin Fojkar, M. (2024). Priče i pripovijedanje u ranom učenju engleskoga jezika – komparativna analiza [Stories in teaching English in the first years of primary school – A comparative study]. Nova prisutnost: časopis za intelektualna i duhovna pitanja, XXII(2), 413–427. https://doi.org/10.31192/np.22.2.11 Čajo, K., Domljan, D., & Šavrljuga, M. (2021). New building blocks 4. Profil Klett. Dagarin Fojkar, M., Skela, J., & Kovač, P . (2013). A study of the use of narratives in teaching English as a foreign language to young learners. English Language Teaching, 6 (6), 21–28. https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v6n6p21. Dooley, J., & Evans, V . (2013). Smileys 4. Express Publishing & Alfa. Elliott de Riverol, J. (1991). Literature in the teaching of English as a foreign language. Revista Alican - tina de Estudios Ingleses, 4 , 65–69. Enever, J. (2011). Policy. In J. Enever (Ed.), ELLiE: Early Language Learning in Europe (pp. 24–36). The British Council. Escott, C. (1995). Bridging the gap: Making links between children’s reading and writing. In E. Bearne (Ed.), Greater expectations: Children reading writing (pp. 18–24). Cassell. García Conesa, I. M., & Juan Rubio, A. D. (2015). The use of rhymes and songs in the teaching of English in primary education. Revista Docencia e Investigacion , 25 (2), 83–101. Ghosn, I. K. (2002). Four good reasons to use literature in primary school ELT. ELT Journal, 56 (2), 172–179. Ghosn, I. K. (2010). Five-year outcomes from children’s literature-based programmes vs programmes using a skills-based ESL course - Matthew and Peter effects at work?. In B. Tomlinson, & H. Masu - hara (Eds.), Research for materials development in language learning: Evidence for best practice (pp. 21–36). Continuum. Ghosn, I. K. (2018). Materials for early language learning. In S. Garton, & F. Copland (Eds.), The Routledge handbook of teaching English to young learners (pp. 374–388). Routledge. Gray, J. (2016). ELT materials. Claims, critiques and controversies. In G. Hall (Ed.), The Routledge handbook of English language teaching (pp. 95–109). Routledge Handbooks. Japelj Pavišić, B., & Cankar, G. (2022). Textbooks and students’ knowledge. Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal, 12 (2), 29–65. https://www.cepsj.si/index.php/cepsj/article/view/1283/589 Kirkgöz, Y ., & Ağçam, R. (2011). Exploring culture in locally published English textbooks for primary education in Turkey. Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal, 1 (1), 153–167. Kurikulum nastavnog predmeta Engleski jezik za osnovne škole i gimnazije [The national curriculum for the English language]. (2019). Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Croatia. https://narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/2019_01_7_139.html Laude, N., Torres, S., & Shipton, P . (2021). Let’s explore 4 . Oxford University Press. Martin, W . (1986). Recent theories of narrative . Cornell University Press. in search of authentic and adapted literary texts in textbooks for young ... 22 McGrath, I. (2002). Materials evaluation and design for language teaching . Edinburgh University Press. McGrath, I. (2013). Teaching materials and the roles of EFL/ESL teachers: Practice and theory. Bloomsbury. Milković, I. (2023). Prijevodi anglofone književnosti kao (među)kulturni potencijal: književnost u hrvatskim čitankama za niže razrede osnovne škole [Translations of Anglophone literature as an (inter)cultural poten - tial: Literature in Croatian readers for lower primary school]. Učiteljski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu. Mourão, S. (2015). The potential of picturebooks with young learners. In J. Bland (Ed.), Teach - ing English to young learners: Critical issues in language teaching with 3-12 year olds (pp. 199–218). Bloomsbury Academic. Mužić, V . (1997). Metodologija pedagoškog istraživanja [Methodology in educational research] . IGKRO “Svjetlost” – OOUR Zavod za udžbenike. Narančić Kovač, S. (1999). Dječja književnost u nastavi stranog jezika [Children’s literature in teach - ing a foreign language]. In Y . Vrhovac, M. Kruhan, M. Medved Krajnović, J. Mihaljević Djigunović, S. Narančić Kovač, N. Sironić-Bonefačić, & M. Vilke (Eds.), Strani jezik u osnovnoj školi (pp. 257–271). Naprijed. Narančić Kovač, S. (2019). Dječja književnost i slikovnica u nastavi stranoga jezika [Children’s litera - ture and picture books in teaching a foreign language]. In Y . Vrhovac, V . Berlengi Kapušin, J. Čengić, R. Geld, A.-B. Jelić, S. Letica Krevelj, S. Mardešić, & M. Lütze-Miculinić (Eds.), Izazovi učenja stranoga jezika u osnovnoj školi (pp. 336–357). Naklada Ljevak. Narančić Kovač, S., & Milković, I. (2015). Associating temporal meanings with past and present verb forms. In J. Mihaljević Djigunović, & M. Medved Krajnović (Eds.), Early learning and teaching of English: New dynamics of primary English (pp. 110–148). Multilingual Matters. Opie, I., & Opie, P . (1967). The lore and language of schoolchildren . Oxford University Press. Petravić, A. (2010). Udžbenik stranog jezika kao mjesto susreta kultura - Slike stranoga i vlastitoga u hrvatskim udžbenicima njemačkog jezika [Foreign language textbooks as a meeting point of cultures. Images of the foreign and the own in Croatian textbooks for German language]. Školska knjiga. Puchta, H., & Williams, M. (2011). Teaching young learners to think: ELT activities for young learners aged 6-12. Helbling. Rathert, S., & Cabaroğlu, N. (2022). Theorising textbook adaptation in English language teaching. Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal, 12 (2), 169–188. Richards, J. (2014). The ELT textbook. In S. Garton, & K. Graves (Eds.), International perspectives on materials in ELT (pp. 19–36). Palgrave Macmillan. Rijavec, M. (2015). How to outdo the textbook. In J. Mihaljević Djigunović (Ed.), Children and Eng - lish as a foreign language (pp. 119–22). FF Press. Salaberri, S., & Lambert, V . (2017). Poptropica 3. Pearson & Ljevak. Tomlinson, B. (1998). Materials development in language teaching . Cambridge University Press. Tomlinson, B. (2015). Challenging teachers to use their coursebook creatively. In A. Maley, & N. Peachey (Eds.), Creativity in the language classroom (pp. 24–28). British Council. Tomlinson, B., & Masuhara, H. (2018.) The complete guide to theory and practice of materials develop - ment for language learning. Wiley Blackwell. c e p s Journal 23 Waugh, D., Neaum, S., & Waugh, R. (2016). Children’s literature in primary schools (2nd ed.). Sage Publications. Žepina, A., Anić-Antić, S., & Ban, S. (2021). Tiptoes 4 . Školska knjiga. Biographical note Ivana Milković, PhD, is an associate professor at the Faculty of Teacher Education, University of Zagreb. Her research interests include chil - dren’s literature and culture, literature as part of mother tongue and foreign language education, teaching English to young learners, translating children’s literature and culture, and translation strategies. She has participated in several research projects and published studies in the areas of comparative children’s literature, teaching English to young learners, and applied linguistics. Ivana Cindrić, PhD, is an associate professor in the field of English language teaching methodology at the University of Zagreb Faculty of Teacher Education. She teaches courses on English language teaching methodology with a focus on assessment, culture, CLIL, and young and very young learners. Her research interests and publications are teaching English to young and very young learners, literature, and pre-service language teacher education. Diana Cvitanović, PhD student, is a full-time teacher at the Primary School Meterize in Šibenik, Croatia. Her research interests include teaching and learning in the field of children’s literature, teaching methodology, and en - hancing the understanding of the Croatian language and culture in comparison to foreign languages and cultures during the early years of primary education.