Asɔbɔaya Be Ke Karga

Name: Asɔbɔaya Be Ke Karga
Availability: InStock
Author: Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek

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

Cover of Asɔbɔaya Be Ke Karga, a Gonja picture book

Asɔbɔaya Be Ke Karga is a picture book in Gonja for ages 2–8 by Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.

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Language: Gonja
Written by: Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek
Illustrated by: Rob Owen
Translated by: Joseph Kipo Ahiah (OLE Ghana)
Reading level: ages 2–8 · preschool, kindergarten to 2nd grade · Level 1 · First words
From: Ghana
Source: Global Storybooks
Licence: CC BY 3.0
Price: Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

Asɔbɔaya Be Ke Karga is a short illustrated picture book in Gonja by Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek, illustrated by Rob Owen and translated by Joseph Kipo Ahiah (OLE Ghana). 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 Gonja. 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 32 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).

How it begins

Jobote koŋnule e naa yɔ nɛ ku ya nuu nchu. Ajirafu anyɔ e naa yɔ nɛ a ya nuu nchu. Kupuntona asa nɛ mbuibi ana bee yɔ nɛ a ya nuu nchu. Achɔŋ anu nɛ aligbi she bee nite ayɔ…

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. “Asɔbɔaya Be Ke Karga” is also available in:

Reading together in Gonja

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 Gonja

See all 4 free Gonja books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩‍🏫 Assign this book to a class

Frequently asked questions

Is “Asɔbɔaya Be Ke Karga” free to read?

Yes. “Asɔbɔaya Be Ke Karga” 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 “Asɔbɔaya Be Ke Karga” in?

It is written in Gonja. Pagine has 4 free children’s books in Gonja.

What age is “Asɔbɔaya Be Ke Karga” for?

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

Is “Asɔbɔaya Be Ke Karga” available in other languages?

Yes — the same story is in Nigerian Pidgin, Hausa, Kiswahili, Somali, Xhosa, Afrikaans and more.

Who wrote “Asɔbɔaya Be Ke Karga”?

“Asɔbɔaya Be Ke Karga” was written by Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek and illustrated by Rob Owen; the Gonja translation is by Joseph Kipo Ahiah (OLE Ghana).

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Credits: Asɔbɔaya Be Ke Karga — Written by Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek; Illustrated by Rob Owen; Translated by Joseph Kipo Ahiah (OLE Ghana). Gonja, Level 1. From Global Storybooks (global-asp.github.io/storybooks-ghana), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=9671). CC BY 3.0. · Page updated October 2026