As millions of Ukrainian women and children take refuge in other European nations, one inspiring act of kindness by workers at a Denmark office of Mediabrands Content Studio is warming hearts and going viral.

With Denmark already haven taken in thousands of refugees, the Mediabrands branch was inspired to write and create a free children’s book for Ukrainian-speakers called “Welcome to Denmark”.

The charming booklet introduces refugees to the country, while highlighting the cultural similarities of the two cultures, to help make the new refugees feel safer and more at ease.

The publishing team was thrilled to be connected with a Ukrainian female refugee who agreed to translate the copy.

20,000 copies were printed, and the book’s availability was announced through social media, hoping people or local organizations might be able to use them.

72 hours later, all 20,000 copies were distributed. Their office was inundated with requests, so 20,000 more are currently being printed. [UPDATE: Following this GNN article’s publication, the company said they’ve received a total of 100,000 orders.]

Queries came in from Danish train, bus, and ferry companies that want to give them to newly arriving Ukrainian passengers. At the same time, it acts as a mini-phrasebook that can make it easier to make friends and understand many new things around them.

After reading the beautiful text below—translated into English—and seeing some of the lovely drawings, maybe more European countries will be inspired to create their own books for refugees.

What is Denmark?

Denmark is a small kingdom with only 5.8 million inhabitants, located approx. 1,250 km. from Ukraine. Although we are the oldest kingdom in the world, we have no king. Our queen is Her Majesty Margrethe the 2nd, but she does not decide so much. In Denmark, we all decide equally, and therefore there is room to be exactly who you want to be. Welcome!

We have much in common…

The trip to Denmark may feel long, but Denmark is not too far from Ukraine. Neither in distance nor in spirit. In fact, there are as many as 3 Ukrainian princesses who have been married to Danish kings and princes, and the capital of Ukraine is as old as Lejre – one of Denmark’s largest Viking cities. There were also many Danes who moved to Ukraine in the Viking Age.Maybe you already know something from Denmark. LEGO bricks come from here, and Hans Christian Andersen, who wrote fairy tales such as The Emperor’s New Clothes, The Ugly Duckling, and The Little Mermaid.

Denmark is a small country…

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In Denmark there are no mountains or large forests. The whole country is flat as a pancake. The highest point in Denmark is only 172 meters high, and because here there are neither steep nor large distances to cross, there are many who cycle in Denmark.

In Denmark, we are very proud of our coasts. It is our wilderness, and although we are a very small country, we have the 16th longest coastline in the world. No matter where you are in Denmark, you are never more than 52 km from the sea, and everyone has the right to be on the beaches and swim in the water. We also have many small forests that are completely light green in the spring. Everyone must be there. In many places there are campfires and shelters that you are welcome to use. And you are welcome to take firewood from the forest floor.

Children in Denmark…

There are many children living in Denmark, and we take good care of each other. Children in Denmark go to kindergarten if they are under 6, and to school if they are over. In kindergarten, the children play and learn to be with other children. In school, they learn to read and count and to speak other languages. There are only 6 million in the world who speak Danish. The Danish language is famous for being a bit difficult. Our letters are different from the ones you are used to. And in addition, we have three extra letters called Æ, Ø and Å, which sound funny. The hardest thing to say in Danish is ‘red porridge with cream’, but until you have learned to say it, you can enjoy eating it.

Do you want to play?

When the children are free from school, they go to sports or go out and play. There are
many children in Denmark who play either football, handball or ride skateboards and
scooters. Many people also like to play on computers. Even if you can not speak Danish, you can easily join. Sport is the same across borders, and a smile means the same thing in all languages.

We eat this in Denmark…

We love eating oatmeal with milk or a bun with cheese for breakfast. Sometimes we also get pastry, but it’s mostly on the weekends. For lunch, we often eat sandwiches or rye bread with different cold cuts such as. eggs, sausage or liver pate. Rye bread is very common in Denmark. Tonight we eat food from all over the world, especially pasta and pizza. But there are also popular Danish dishes, such as meatballs or ground beef with boiled potatoes.

We talk a lot about the weather

In Denmark, the weather changes often and that is why we always talk about it. In the
spring, everything grows out, and even though it’s cool, everyone is looking forward to summer. Therefore, we go outside as soon as the sun shines. In the summer, Denmark really comes to life. Everyone meets in parks, cafes and on the beach. It can get very hot in the summer, but it also rains a lot. In the fall, when everything turns orange and the leaves fall from the trees, it is often windy weather. It is very beautiful, but many Danes go inside and meet for coffee and coziness. But there are also many who are outside cooking over a campfire or something. In winter it is cold and wet. Sometimes it snows, and then you can sled, build snowmen or do snowball fights.

We like cozy…

Cosiness is a Danish word that we use about the feeling you get when you are with good
friends, drink hot cocoa or watch TV together. It may be a little hard to say, but we all know the feeling. It is the heat that spreads in the stomach. The calm that falls over us. The smile that finds its way to the face. We look forward to having fun with you and your family. Welcome!

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