Aipo

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

Aipo is a picture book in Ateso 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: Ateso
Written by: Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi
Illustrated by: Kathy Arbuckle, Ingrid Schechter
Translated by: Ignatius Okurut, Alfred Ochai, Karim Osuje
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

Aipo is a short illustrated picture book in Ateso by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi, illustrated by Kathy Arbuckle, Ingrid Schechter and translated by Ignatius Okurut, Alfred Ochai, Karim Osuje. 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 Ateso. 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 30 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).

How it begins

Akuli eongo acok. Atubi eongo ekabej. Anyilinyilei eongo ekarot. Elosi eongo emaroge. Atubutubei eongo ebiringanya. Atubutubei eongo esukumawiki (ejibiri). Etubutubei toto emutungulu. Eleleete eongo akiyo etubutubio emutugulu. Aipo — Written by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi; Illustrated by Kathy…

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. “Aipo” is also available in:

Reading together in Ateso

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 Ateso

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See all 8 free Ateso books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩‍🏫 Assign this book to a class

Frequently asked questions

Is “Aipo” free to read?

Yes. “Aipo” 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 “Aipo” in?

It is written in Ateso. Pagine has 8 free children’s books in Ateso.

What age is “Aipo” for?

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

Is “Aipo” available in other languages?

Yes — the same story is in English, Kiswahili, Somali, Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans and more.

Who wrote “Aipo”?

“Aipo” was written by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi and illustrated by Kathy Arbuckle, Ingrid Schechter; the Ateso translation is by Ignatius Okurut, Alfred Ochai, Karim Osuje.

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Credits: Aipo — Written by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi; Illustrated by Kathy Arbuckle, Ingrid Schechter; Translated by Ignatius Okurut, Alfred Ochai, Karim Osuje. Ateso, Level 1. From Global Storybooks (global-asp.github.io/storybooks-uganda), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=2795). CC BY-NC 3.0. · Page updated October 2026