Àfaamázʉ́

Name: Àfaamázʉ́
Availability: InStock
Author: Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi

A free picture book in Lugbarati (official orthography) by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi

Cover of Àfaamázʉ́, a Lugbarati (official orthography) picture book

Àfaamázʉ́ is a picture book in Lugbarati (official orthography) for ages 2–8 by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.

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Language: Lugbarati (official orthography)
Written by: Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi
Illustrated by: Kathy Arbuckle, Ingrid Schechter
Translated by: Doris Maandebo
Reading level: ages 2–8 · preschool, kindergarten to 2nd grade · Level 1 · First words
From: Uganda
Source: Global Storybooks
Licence: CC BY-NC 3.0
Price: Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

Àfaamázʉ́ is a short illustrated picture book in Lugbarati (official orthography) by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi, illustrated by Kathy Arbuckle, Ingrid Schechter and translated by Doris Maandebo. 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 Lugbarati (official orthography). The book comes from Global Storybooks and is shared under an open CC BY-NC 3.0 licence, which is why it is free to read. The same story is available in 29 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).

How it begins

Mâ ásí nɨ e`yó kárákàrà yi amáa. Mâ díi kà àma nɨ́ ‘o`dʉ́kó òlʉ̀ òndrésɨ̀ àyɨ̀kò nɨ ma fu tʉ̀. Àkà avɨ́ mâ ágíyi be ma e`dá mánɨ́ azazàrʉ́ àyìkó drí. Mâ átíi kà `yo `ɨ́ vʉ́ séndè yo, ma…

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

This story in other languages

Reading the same story in two languages helps bilingual children connect words they already know. “Àfaamázʉ́” is also available in:

Reading together in Lugbarati (official orthography)

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 Lugbarati (official orthography)

See all 13 free Lugbarati (official orthography) books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩‍🏫 Assign this book to a class

Frequently asked questions

Is “Àfaamázʉ́” free to read?

Yes. “Àfaamázʉ́” 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-NC 3.0).

What language is “Àfaamázʉ́” in?

It is written in Lugbarati (official orthography). Pagine has 13 free children’s books in Lugbarati (official orthography).

What age is “Àfaamázʉ́” for?

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

Is “Àfaamázʉ́” available in other languages?

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

Who wrote “Àfaamázʉ́”?

“Àfaamázʉ́” was written by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi and illustrated by Kathy Arbuckle, Ingrid Schechter; the Lugbarati (official orthography) translation is by Doris Maandebo.

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Credits: Àfaamázʉ́ — Written by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi; Illustrated by Kathy Arbuckle, Ingrid Schechter; Translated by Doris Maandebo. Lugbarati (official orthography), Level 1. From Global Storybooks (global-asp.github.io/storybooks-uganda), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=2884). CC BY-NC 3.0. · Page updated October 2026