Ah-woof! Or should we say, ah-welcome! Duggee and The Squirrels have taught the nation’s children many valuable lessons over the years. But their latest episode, which drops on November 2, is perhaps their most important yet.
In news that will delight kids everywhere (and parents who have watched all four seasons back-to-back, multiple times), the award-winning BBC CBeebies series has launched a brand new episode welcoming new characters from Ukraine.
The Squirrels are joined by new faces, as well as Ukrainian-known characters Mavka and Swampy, who Ukrainian children will recognise from animated feature film Mavka. The Forest Song.
To welcome their new friends, Betty, Norrie, Roly, Tag and Happy sing an incredibly catchy ‘Welcome Song’ complete with translations of Ukrainian phrases and words.
And yes, you will be whistling this song for the rest of the day.
The ‘Welcome Badge’ episode sees Duggee and The Squirrels waiting for some new friends to arrive. The show’s narrator, Alexander Armstrong, explains they come from a country called Ukraine.
The new arrivals speak a different language from Duggee and his friends, so to help them settle in, Duggee, The Squirrels and Hummingbirds burst into song.
‘The Welcome Song’ is complete with translations of Ukrainian phrases to help the new arrivals feel at home – and to give children here some phrases to use for a nice big welcome.
There’s also lots of waving, something everyone understands. And, of course, a big old Duggee hug.
The show’s producers say the aim of the episode is to improve the real experiences of Ukrainian children coming to the UK, in the hope they feel even more welcome.
It’s also educating British kids to learn their language and encourage them to be warm and kind.
The usual cast are joined by children from the UK, as well as those who have recently arrived from Ukraine, who all sing the words of the song in their native language.
All episodes of Hey Duggee are available on BBC iPlayer in the UK.
