Apaya

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

Apaya is a picture book in Tswana 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: Tswana
Written by: Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi
Illustrated by: Kathy Arbuckle, Ingrid Schechter
Translated by: Domitilla Naledi Madi
Reading level: ages 2–8 · preschool, kindergarten to 2nd grade · Level 1 · First words
From: South Africa, Namibia
Source: Global Storybooks
Licence: CC BY-NC 3.0
Price: Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

Apaya is a short illustrated picture book in Tswana by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi, illustrated by Kathy Arbuckle, Ingrid Schechter and translated by Domitilla Naledi Madi. 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 Tswana. 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

Ke obola makwele. Ke kgebetlelela kholo. Ke kgebetlelela dimerwane. Ke phepafatsa dinawa. Ke segelela lephutsi. Ke kgebetlelela sepinasi. Mme o kgebetlelela dionione. Dionione di dira gore ke lele fa di kgebetlelelwa. Apaya — Written by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele…

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. “Apaya” is also available in:

Reading together in Tswana

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 Tswana

See all 103 free Tswana books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩‍🏫 Assign this book to a class

Frequently asked questions

Is “Apaya” free to read?

Yes. “Apaya” 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 “Apaya” in?

It is written in Tswana. Pagine has 103 free children’s books in Tswana.

What age is “Apaya” for?

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

Is “Apaya” available in other languages?

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

Who wrote “Apaya”?

“Apaya” was written by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi and illustrated by Kathy Arbuckle, Ingrid Schechter; the Tswana translation is by Domitilla Naledi Madi.

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Credits: Apaya — Written by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi; Illustrated by Kathy Arbuckle, Ingrid Schechter; Translated by Domitilla Naledi Madi. Tswana, Level 1. From Global Storybooks (southafricareads.org), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=2795). CC BY-NC 3.0. · Page updated October 2026