EPBC II is a Comenius, Multilateral project partially funded by the EU Lifelong Learning Programme (ref num: 504181-LLP-1-2009-1-CY-COMENIUS-CMP). It aims to create a collection of picture books from all 27 member states with accompanying educational material using cutting edge ICT. It will benefit from the advancement of educational technology to build a comprehensive, interactive and user-friendly database which will make all of the project outputs available on-line.

This project is a continuation of the original European Picture Book Collection (EPBC) which was created by European scholars and educators working in the field of children's literature and teacher education. Through reading the visual narratives of at least one picture book from each member state, the first EPBC was devised to help both teachers and children to learn more about their European neighbours' languages, literatures and cultures.

EPBC II project will try to promote the structured pedagogical use of picture books focusing on second language teaching and learning. The picture books will appear as flipping books (either the whole book or parts of it depending on copyright permissions) and will be accompanied by 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. It 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 improvements in pedagogical approaches regarding the teaching of European languages and literatures.

For more information on the project, visit the website: http://www.epbcii.org/