Anansi en Wysheid

Name: Anansi en Wysheid
Availability: InStock
Author: Ghanaian folktale

A free picture book in Afrikaans by Ghanaian folktale

Cover of Anansi en Wysheid, a Afrikaans picture book

Anansi en Wysheid is a picture book in Afrikaans for ages 5–11 by Ghanaian folktale that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.

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Language: Afrikaans
Written by: Ghanaian folktale
Illustrated by: Wiehan de Jager
Translated by: Willemien Wannberg
Reading level: ages 5–11 · kindergarten to 2nd grade, 3rd to 5th grade · Level 3 · First paragraphs
From: South Africa, Namibia
Source: Global Storybooks
Licence: CC BY 3.0
Price: Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

Anansi en Wysheid is a short illustrated picture book in Afrikaans by Ghanaian folktale, illustrated by Wiehan de Jager and translated by Willemien Wannberg. It is written for ages 5–11 (Grades 2–3) and is graded as Level 3 · First paragraphs, so it works as a read-aloud for little ones and as practice for children learning to read in Afrikaans. 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 27 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).

How it begins

Lank, lank gelede het die mense niks geweet nie. Hulle het nie geweet hoe om gewasse te plant of klere te weef of hoe om gereedskap van yster te maak nie. Die god Nyame bo in die lug het al…

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. “Anansi en Wysheid” is also available in:

Reading together in Afrikaans

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 Afrikaans

See all 143 free Afrikaans books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩‍🏫 Assign this book to a class

Frequently asked questions

Is “Anansi en Wysheid” free to read?

Yes. “Anansi en Wysheid” 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 “Anansi en Wysheid” in?

It is written in Afrikaans. Pagine has 143 free children’s books in Afrikaans.

What age is “Anansi en Wysheid” for?

It is best for ages 5–11 (Level 3 · First paragraphs). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.

Is “Anansi en Wysheid” available in other languages?

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

Who wrote “Anansi en Wysheid”?

“Anansi en Wysheid” was written by Ghanaian folktale and illustrated by Wiehan de Jager; the Afrikaans translation is by Willemien Wannberg.

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Credits: Anansi en Wysheid — Written by Ghanaian folktale; Illustrated by Wiehan de Jager; Translated by Willemien Wannberg; Read by Willemien Wannberg. Afrikaans, Level 3. From Global Storybooks (southafricareads.org), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=1938). CC BY 3.0. · Page updated October 2026