It wasn’t all bad
■ A Danish company has begun distributing a children’s book to newly arrived Ukrainian refugees. The book includes fun facts about Denmark’s cultural connections to Ukraine, such as the nations’ frequent interaction during the age of the Vikings. Mediabrands, the company that designed the book, has so far distributed 20,000 copies and plans to print at least 75,000 more. Welcome to Denmark also tells kids not to worry too much about pronouncing the Danish language’s three extra letters, which, the book admits, “sound funny.”
■ A British 10-year-old was metal detecting with his father when, after just 10 minutes of searching, he uncovered a rare, 13th-century seal. Priests would have pressed the medieval copper ornament, embellished with an image of the Madonna, into wax to seal official documents and other correspondence. George Henderson of Nottinghamshire didn’t think much of his discovery until he saw other detectorists crowding around to examine the fragile artifact. Last week, George got a second surprise: He earned $5,000 after the seal was sold at auction and added to an official antique database. “George must have the Midas touch,” said one local consultant. “I hope it will inspire him to keep unearthing more history.”
■ When NewYork City’s libraries announced they would eliminate late fees, they hoped residents would return books they had borrowed shortly before the pandemic. But a startling 90,000 books were returned, including many checked out decades ago. Among them: three copies of the action film The Boondock Saints II and a novella checked out in 1970 from an address now registered to a shopping mall. Some items included written apologies. “I am 75 years old now and these books have helped me through motherhood,” wrote one patron. “They became family.”