PagineBɔ ka a niŋda?
A free picture book in Dagbani by Nina Orange
Bɔ ka a niŋda? is a picture book in Dagbani for ages 2–8 by Nina Orange that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.
📖 Read it free →- Language
- Dagbani
- Written by
- Nina Orange
- Illustrated by
- Wiehan de Jager
- Translated by
- Adam Peter Pazzack
- 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
Bɔ ka a niŋda? is a short illustrated picture book in Dagbani by Nina Orange, illustrated by Wiehan de Jager and translated by Adam Peter Pazzack. 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 Dagbani. 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 29 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).
How it begins
N yiinila yila. O gahirila o nuu. N kpahirila n nuhi. O teerila o bɔɣiri. O boona. O labisiri bɔhigu. O wumda. Bɔ ka a niŋda? — Written by Nina Orange; Illustrated by Wiehan de Jager; Translated by Adam Peter…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. “Bɔ ka a niŋda?” is also available in:
- Afrikaans · Wat doen jy?
- Bemba · Finshi Uleecita?
- Jamaican Creole · Wa yu a du?
- Kaonde · Ubena Kuuba ka?
- Khoekhoegowab · Tare-ets ra dī?
- Kichaga · Kiki kukeuta?
- Kikuyu · Nĩkĩĩ ureka?
- Kisukuma · Uleetake?
- Kiswahili · Unafanya nini?
- Krio · Wetin yu de du?
- Lukhonzo · Ukakolhaki?
- Lunda · Winakwiladi?
- Lunyole · Ohola hiina?
- Luvale · Uli nakulinga ika?
- Mauritian Creole · Ki to pe fer?
- Nyanja · Ucita Ciani?
- Oshikwanyama · Oto ningi shike?
- Oshindonga · Oto ningi shike?
- Otjiherero · Ove mo tjiti tjike?
- Sepedi · O dira eng?
- Sesotho · O etsang?
- Somali · Maxaad samaynaysaa?
- Spanish · ¿Qué estás haciendo?
- Tonga · Ino Ucita Nzi?
- Tsonga · Xana u endla yini?
- Tswana · O dira eng?
- Turkana · Nyo Isubi Iyong?
- Xhosa · Wenza Ntoni?
- Zulu · Wenzani?
Reading together in Dagbani
- 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 Dagbani
See all 10 free Dagbani books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩🏫 Assign this book to a class
Frequently asked questions
Is “Bɔ ka a niŋda?” free to read?
Yes. “Bɔ ka a niŋda?” 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 “Bɔ ka a niŋda?” in?
It is written in Dagbani. Pagine has 10 free children’s books in Dagbani.
What age is “Bɔ ka a niŋda?” for?
It is best for ages 2–8 (Level 1 · First words). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.
Is “Bɔ ka a niŋda?” available in other languages?
Yes — the same story is in Kikuyu, Turkana, Somali, Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans and more.
Who wrote “Bɔ ka a niŋda?”?
“Bɔ ka a niŋda?” was written by Nina Orange and illustrated by Wiehan de Jager; the Dagbani translation is by Adam Peter Pazzack.
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Get the free app →Credits: Bɔ ka a niŋda? — Written by Nina Orange; Illustrated by Wiehan de Jager; Translated by Adam Peter Pazzack. Dagbani, Level 1. From Global Storybooks (global-asp.github.io/storybooks-ghana), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=7292). CC BY 3.0. · Page updated October 2026