Fairytales from Home

In Arnhem, the Netherlands, over two days and across four locations, more than 200 Ukrainian children and their families came together to celebrate the opening of libraries filled with books in their own language. Across these four locations, more than 775 Ukrainians live—most of them coming from frontline cities like Kharkiv, Zaporizhia, Donetsk and also Dnipro and Kyiv.

As they entered these reading corners, children found more than shelves and pages—they found familiar characters, familiar words, and a sense of recognition. Fairytales from Home placed these stories back into their hands, offering a reminder that home is not only a place; it can also be carried in a story.

At each location, the bookshelf openings became celebrations with music, sweets, lemonade, and the cheerful noise of children gathering. Parents joined in, and a mother read aloud to the group, filling the room with meaningful moments. One mother said: “Thank you for bringing these books to us, it means so much — a reminder that we are not forgotten.” Another added: “These books bring a little piece of our home back to our children.”

The impact of this project goes beyond the books themselves. Access to stories in their own language provides children with emotional stability, helps reduce stress, and creates a sense of continuity in daily life. Books in a child’s native language also preserve identity. Through familiar stories, children reconnect with cultural references and worldviews that feel natural to them, strengthening confidence and a sense of belonging.

Each book travelled a long way, purchased from local publishers in Kharkiv who continue creating under difficult circumstances. In this way, the project supports not only Ukrainian children in the Netherlands but also communities back in Ukraine.

This work builds on previous projects that demonstrated the importance of mother-tongue stories. In 2023, Fairytales from Home was introduced in Romania, where Ukrainian children quickly connected with books in their own language, drawn to the familiar illustrations and stories. Read more here: Fairytales from Home in Bucharest. Earlier, in 2021, we created a colorful bookshelf of Arabic-language children’s books in Heerhugowaard, offering families moments of connection and recognition. These shelves became community spaces where children could see themselves reflected in the stories and share reading time with their parents. Read more here: Kalimat from Home.

Reading together also allows parents to bond with their children, pass on language and culture, and create shared experiences of comfort and joy. Familiar stories give children a sense of continuity and grounding, reminding them who they are even as they navigate new surroundings.

Fairytales from Home in Arnhem is a continuation of these successful projects. When children can read in the language of their hearts, it supports their well-being, strengthens their identity, and shows that their stories matter.

Today, Arnhem carries this story forward: four libraries, four celebrations, and hundreds of children who can open a book and, for a moment, feel at home again.