The original European Picture Book Collection (EPBC) was created by European scholars and educators working in the field of children's literature and teacher education and purported to bring to children across Europe at least one picture book from each member state. EPBC was initiated in 1996 and is currently being used by teachers working with pupils in European primary schools (10 - 11 year olds). The project had received EU funding, under the Comenius programme, in order to develop materials which would implement a European dimension in primary education. In 1997, EPBC received the award of Innovative Reading Promotion in Europe from the European Committee of the International Reading Association.The currently proposed project, EPBC II, is a project that aims to create a new collection and a completely new accompanying educational material. Almost a decade after the completion of the original project, there is dire need for renewal. This is also recognised by Dr Penni Cotton (Roehampton University, UK), leader of the first EPBC, who will have a central role in this project as well. The most important change that has taken place during the years that followed the first EPBC is the inclusion of twelve new member states in the EU. Thus, one of the central aims of the new project is to build a collection that will include picture books from the new member states as well. The applicant and coordinating organization for EPBC II is based in Cyprus, which is a new member state. Another central aim is to familiarize young people and educational staff in these countries both with EPBC and EPBC II, in order to develop their knowledge and understanding of the diversity of European cultures and languages and its value. There will also be a much more structured pedagogical use of the books, which will focus on second language teaching and learning. The new project will also benefit from the advancement of educational technology, building a comprehensive, interactive and user-friendly database, making all of the projects’ outputs available on-line.The outputs, results and products of the project will include: • A collection that will include one picture book from each member state • Complete or partial English translations of the texts in all 27 picture books (depending on copyright permissions)• Complete or partial translations of the 6 texts from the partner countries in at least 2 other languages (depending on copyright permissions)• Units of literature-, language-, and culture-related objectives, activities and suggestions to the teacher• E-books that will include the entire body or part of the texts, translations, and pictures of the picture books from the partner countries (depending on copyright permissions)• On-line interactive activities that will bring the e-books in dialogue with each other and engage students in creative literary, linguistic and cultural comparative processes• Testing, implementation, and dissemination of the collection and the related materialIt is expected that EPBC II will have a profound and multifaceted impact on educators and students and their teaching/learning practices. In specific, it is expected that the project will encourage, enhance and support:• the learning of modern foreign languages• the quality and European dimension of teacher training and student learning• improvements in pedagogical approaches regarding the teaching of European languages and literatures• the development of innovative ICT-based content and pedagogies