NGO Smile Train India Launches First Picture Book Series to Promote Empathy and Cleft Awareness

New Delhi, July 03, 2025: Smile Train India, the country’s leading cleft-focused non-profit organization, has launched a first-of-its-kind five-part picture book series to foster empathy, inclusion, and early emotional literacy among children. The book launch took place at the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA), New Delhi, and marks a significant step in the organization’s broader goal of building awareness around cleft conditions and facial differences through storytelling.

Authored by award-winning children’s writer Mamta Nainy, the series is designed to initiate open conversations around identity, self-worth, and acceptance. Each story presents relatable characters and themes that extend beyond cleft conditions, encouraging children to reflect on emotions, belonging, and kindness.

“Through this picture book series, we’re equipping children and educators with stories that bring forth differences and foster emotional resilience. This series is a deeply personal and purposeful project for us at Smile Train India. Each story helps children see the world through a more compassionate lens, while gently challenging existing perceptions around facial differences. What makes this series so special is that the stories go beyond clefts; they talk about belonging, self-worth, and the emotions children often carry silently,” said Mamta Carroll, Senior Vice President and Regional Director for Asia, Smile Train.

The series will be introduced as part of Smile Train India’s school engagement program, “Smiles and Beyond – ABCs of Change.” The initiative includes interactive book reading sessions, teacher guides, activity sheets, and distribution of the books to school libraries and students. The organization also plans to partner with educational institutions and influencers to further expand the reach of the initiative nationwide.

Sharing her thoughts on the creative journey, author Mamta Nainy said, “I wanted to create characters who look real, who stumble, grow, and discover their strength. Each book in this series is a conversation starter. They invite children to question, to relate, and to grow kinder, not just to others, but to themselves too.”

The initiative aligns with Smile Train India’s mission of raising awareness about cleft conditions while promoting inclusive values among younger generations. By embedding such narratives in early learning environments, the organization aims to reduce stigma and build a society that values diversity and acceptance.