PagineǀAes
A free picture book in Khoekhoegowab by Deborah Namugosa, Beatrice Nabune, Alison Tukei, Rose Sabano
ǀAes is a picture book in Khoekhoegowab for ages 2–8 by Deborah Namugosa, Beatrice Nabune, Alison Tukei, Rose Sabano that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.
📖 Read it free →- Language
- Khoekhoegowab
- Written by
- Deborah Namugosa, Beatrice Nabune, Alison Tukei, Rose Sabano
- Illustrated by
- Rob Owen
- Translated by
- Ngeve Shangombe
- Reading level
- ages 2–8 · preschool, kindergarten to 2nd grade · Level 1 · First words
- From
- Namibia
- Source
- Global Storybooks
- Licence
- CC BY 3.0
- Price
- Free — read online, nothing to download
About this book
ǀAes is a short illustrated picture book in Khoekhoegowab by Deborah Namugosa, Beatrice Nabune, Alison Tukei, Rose Sabano, illustrated by Rob Owen and translated by Ngeve Shangombe. 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 Khoekhoegowab. 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
Kō re ǀaesa. ǀAes ge ra ǂhuwi. ǀAes ge ra sâi. ǀAes ge ǃnaeba ra mā. ǀAes ge ǃnâba ra mā. Kō re, ǀaesa! ǀAes ge a buruxa. Tsî a ǀgaisa. ǀAes — Written by Deborah Namugosa, Beatrice Nabune, Alison…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. “ǀAes” is also available in:
- Afrikaans · Vuur
- Bemba · Umulilo
- Dagbani · Buɣim
- Dhopadhola · Mac
- English · Fire
- Jamaican Creole · Faiya
- Kaonde · Mujilo
- Kichaga · Moro
- Kigogo · Moto
- Kikuyu · Mwaki
- Kisukuma · Mootó
- Kiswahili · Moto
- Krio · Faya
- Luganda · Omuliro
- Lukhonzo · Omuliro
- Lunda · Kesi
- Lunyole · Omuliro
- Luvale · Kakahya
- Mauritian Creole · Dife
- Nyanja · Moto
- Oshikwanyama · Omundilo
- Oshindonga · Omulilo
- Otjiherero · Omuriro
- Samburu · Nkima
- Sesotho · Mollo
- Somali · Dab
- Spanish · El fuego
- Tonga · Mulilo
- Tsonga · Ndzilo
- Tswana · Molelo
- Yoruba · Íná
- Zulu · Umlilo
Reading together in Khoekhoegowab
- 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 Khoekhoegowab
Anansib tsî Gā-aisib
Xammi di ǀae haigu
Tsâsigu
ǀOpesa ǂkhari ǃgâsarob
Tingib tsî gomadi
Zamas ge a ǂoaǂamsa
ǁGâusa xu ta ge kaiǃās ǁga ǃgû tsēs
Zambezib ǃāb ǃnâ tsâs xa
See all 40 free Khoekhoegowab books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩🏫 Assign this book to a class
Frequently asked questions
Is “ǀAes” free to read?
Yes. “ǀAes” 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 “ǀAes” in?
It is written in Khoekhoegowab. Pagine has 40 free children’s books in Khoekhoegowab.
What age is “ǀAes” for?
It is best for ages 2–8 (Level 1 · First words). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.
Is “ǀAes” available in other languages?
Yes — the same story is in English, Yoruba, Kiswahili, Kikuyu, Samburu, Somali and more.
Who wrote “ǀAes”?
“ǀAes” was written by Deborah Namugosa, Beatrice Nabune, Alison Tukei, Rose Sabano and illustrated by Rob Owen; the Khoekhoegowab translation is by Ngeve Shangombe.
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Get the free app →Credits: ǀAes — Written by Deborah Namugosa, Beatrice Nabune, Alison Tukei, Rose Sabano; Illustrated by Rob Owen; Translated by Ngeve Shangombe. Khoekhoegowab, Level 1. From Global Storybooks (storybooksnamibia.net), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=8565). CC BY 3.0. · Page updated October 2026