Alidie wid Granmaa

Name: Alidie wid Granmaa
Availability: InStock
Author: Violet Otieno

A free picture book in Jamaican Creole by Violet Otieno

Cover of Alidie wid Granmaa, a Jamaican Creole picture book

Alidie wid Granmaa is a picture book in Jamaican Creole for ages 8–11 by Violet Otieno that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.

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Language: Jamaican Creole
Written by: Violet Otieno
Illustrated by: Catherine Groenewald
Translated by: Georgette McGlashen
Reading level: ages 8–11 · 3rd to 5th grade · Level 4 · Longer paragraphs
From: Jamaica
Source: Global Storybooks
Licence: CC BY 4.0
Price: Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

Alidie wid Granmaa is a short illustrated picture book in Jamaican Creole by Violet Otieno, illustrated by Catherine Groenewald and translated by Georgette McGlashen. It is written for ages 8–11 (Grades 3–4) and is graded as Level 4 · Longer paragraphs, 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 4.0 licence, which is why it is free to read. The same story is available in 21 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).

How it begins

Odonggo an Apiyo did liv a toun wid dem faada. Dem luk faawod tu di alidie dem. No jos chuu skuul lak, bot bikaaz dem go vizit dem granmada. Shi did liv inna wahn fishn vilij nier wahn big liek.…

Opening lines quoted from the openly licensed book (CC BY 4.0).

This story in other languages

Reading the same story in two languages helps bilingual children connect words they already know. “Alidie wid Granmaa” 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 “Alidie wid Granmaa” free to read?

Yes. “Alidie wid Granmaa” 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 4.0).

What language is “Alidie wid Granmaa” in?

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

What age is “Alidie wid Granmaa” for?

It is best for ages 8–11 (Level 4 · Longer paragraphs). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.

Is “Alidie wid Granmaa” available in other languages?

Yes — the same story is in Turkana, Somali, Zulu, Xhosa, Sepedi, Tswana and more.

Who wrote “Alidie wid Granmaa”?

“Alidie wid Granmaa” was written by Violet Otieno and illustrated by Catherine Groenewald; the Jamaican Creole translation is by Georgette McGlashen.

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Credits: Alidie wid Granmaa — Written by Violet Otieno; Illustrated by Catherine Groenewald; Translated by Georgette McGlashen. Jamaican Creole, Level 4. From Global Storybooks (global-asp.github.io/storybooks-jamaica), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=12084). CC BY 4.0. · Page updated October 2026