Two cartoons which reinterpret popular fairy tales to provide a more inclusive message were launched by President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca at the Verdala Palace this morning.

The Maltese-language cartoons, which reinterpret Sleeping Beauty and The Emperor's New Clothes, were produced through a collaboration between NGO Write Deal and the National Council for the Maltese Language.

The cartoons will be distributed to every Maltese school, uploaded on the internet and shown before the start of films in cinema, and should also be provided to TV stations at a later date, project coordinator Ruth Frendo announced.

The aim of the project was to reinterpret stories whose message may be discriminatory or against human rights.

The retelling of The Emperor's New Clothes emphasises that no one should be judged on the basis of their national or ethnic origin, while the reinterpretation of Sleeping Beauty seeks to emphasise gender equality, promoting the message that one's gender should not be an obstacle to achieving one's goals.

President Coleiro Preca welcomed the message told by the two cartoons, stating that it was important to strengthen such messages within Maltese society, particularly among children. Fostering the values being promoted, she said, would help strengthen Maltese society and democracy.

The President also emphasised the importance of the Maltese language, as did the council's president Ray Fabri, who urged parents to use Maltese as much as possible when they are speaking with their children.

The cartoons were made possible with the assistance of SOS Malta, and through the EEA Grants NGO Malta Programme.