A Kount Di Animal Dem

Name: A Kount Di Animal Dem
Availability: InStock
Author: Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek

A free picture book in Jamaican Creole by Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek

Cover of A Kount Di Animal Dem, a Jamaican Creole picture book

A Kount Di Animal Dem is a picture book in Jamaican Creole for ages 2–8 by Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.

📖 Read it free →

Language: Jamaican Creole
Written by: Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek
Illustrated by: Rob Owen
Translated by: Georgette McGlashen
Reading level: ages 2–8 · preschool, kindergarten to 2nd grade · Level 1 · First words
From: Jamaica
Source: Global Storybooks
Licence: CC BY 3.0
Price: Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

A Kount Di Animal Dem is a short illustrated picture book in Jamaican Creole by Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek, illustrated by Rob Owen and translated by Georgette McGlashen. It is written for ages 2–8 (Nursery–Year 1) and is graded as Level 1 · First words, so it works as a read-aloud for little ones and as practice for children learning to read in Jamaican Creole. The book comes from Global Storybooks and is shared under an open CC BY 3.0 licence, which is why it is free to read. The same story is available in 32 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).

How it begins

Wan elifant a go jrink waata. Tuu jeraaf a go jrink waata. Chrii bofaluo an fuor bod a go jrink waata tu. Faiv impaala an siks waatag a waak go a di waata. Sevn zebra a ron go a di…

Opening lines quoted from the openly licensed book (CC BY 3.0).

This story in other languages

Reading the same story in two languages helps bilingual children connect words they already know. “A Kount Di Animal Dem” is also available in:

Reading together in Jamaican Creole

Read it aloud first, pointing at the pictures; then let your child “read” the pictures back to you.
Ask open questions: what happened, how did the character feel, what would you do?
Growing up with two languages? Talk about the story in whichever language feels easiest — the understanding carries over.

More free books in Jamaican Creole

See all 40 free Jamaican Creole books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩‍🏫 Assign this book to a class

Frequently asked questions

Is “A Kount Di Animal Dem” free to read?

Yes. “A Kount Di Animal Dem” is free to read online in Pagine on any phone, tablet or computer — no payment and nothing to download. It is openly licensed (CC BY 3.0).

What language is “A Kount Di Animal Dem” in?

It is written in Jamaican Creole. Pagine has 40 free children’s books in Jamaican Creole.

What age is “A Kount Di Animal Dem” for?

It is best for ages 2–8 (Level 1 · First words). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.

Is “A Kount Di Animal Dem” available in other languages?

Yes — the same story is in Nigerian Pidgin, Hausa, Kiswahili, Somali, Xhosa, Afrikaans and more.

Who wrote “A Kount Di Animal Dem”?

“A Kount Di Animal Dem” was written by Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek and illustrated by Rob Owen; the Jamaican Creole translation is by Georgette McGlashen.

Scan to get the free Pagine reading tracker app

Track reading with the free Pagine app

Log books, set goals and build a daily reading habit — free on iOS, Android and the web.

Get the free app →

Credits: A Kount Di Animal Dem — Written by Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek; Illustrated by Rob Owen; Translated by Georgette McGlashen. Jamaican Creole, Level 1. From Global Storybooks (global-asp.github.io/storybooks-jamaica), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=9671). CC BY 3.0. · Page updated October 2026