Abantwana abenziwe ngamakhandlela

Name: Abantwana abenziwe ngamakhandlela
Availability: InStock
Author: Southern African Folktale

A free picture book in Zulu by Southern African Folktale

Cover of Abantwana abenziwe ngamakhandlela, a Zulu picture book

Abantwana abenziwe ngamakhandlela is a picture book in Zulu for ages 5–8 by Southern African Folktale that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.

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Language: Zulu
Written by: Southern African Folktale
Illustrated by: Wiehan de Jager
Translated by: Phumy Zikode
Reading level: ages 5–8 · kindergarten to 2nd grade · Level 2 · First sentences
From: South Africa
Source: Global Storybooks
Licence: CC BY 3.0
Price: Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

Abantwana abenziwe ngamakhandlela is a short illustrated picture book in Zulu by Southern African Folktale, illustrated by Wiehan de Jager and translated by Phumy Zikode. It is written for ages 5–8 (Grades 1–2) and is graded as Level 2 · First sentences, so it works as a read-aloud for little ones and as practice for children learning to read in Zulu. 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 30 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).

How it begins

Emandulo kwakukhona umndeni owawuhlala ujabule. Abantwana babezwana. Behlale besiza abazali babo endlini kanye nasengadini. Kodwa babengavunyelwe ukusondela eduze komlilo. Kwakumele benze yonke imisebenzi yabo ebusuku. Ngoba babenziwe ngamakhandlela! Kodwa omunye wabafana wayekufisa ukuphumela ngaphandle elangeni. Ngelinye ilanga wayehalela ukuphumela ngaphandle.…

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. “Abantwana abenziwe ngamakhandlela” is also available in:

Reading together in Zulu

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 Zulu

See all 145 free Zulu books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩‍🏫 Assign this book to a class

Frequently asked questions

Is “Abantwana abenziwe ngamakhandlela” free to read?

Yes. “Abantwana abenziwe ngamakhandlela” 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 “Abantwana abenziwe ngamakhandlela” in?

It is written in Zulu. Pagine has 145 free children’s books in Zulu.

What age is “Abantwana abenziwe ngamakhandlela” for?

It is best for ages 5–8 (Level 2 · First sentences). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.

Is “Abantwana abenziwe ngamakhandlela” available in other languages?

Yes — the same story is in English, Kiswahili, EkeGusii, Kikamba, Kimaasai, Turkana and more.

Who wrote “Abantwana abenziwe ngamakhandlela”?

“Abantwana abenziwe ngamakhandlela” was written by Southern African Folktale and illustrated by Wiehan de Jager; the Zulu translation is by Phumy Zikode.

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Credits: Abantwana abenziwe ngamakhandlela — Written by Southern African Folktale; Illustrated by Wiehan de Jager; Translated by Phumy Zikode; Read by Beauty Ngwenya. Zulu, Level 2. From Global Storybooks (southafricareads.org), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=2181). CC BY 3.0. · Page updated October 2026