Bana ba kerese

Name: Bana ba kerese
Availability: InStock
Author: Southern African Folktale

A free picture book in Tswana by Southern African Folktale

Cover of Bana ba kerese, a Tswana picture book

Bana ba kerese is a picture book in Tswana for ages 5–8 by Southern African Folktale that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.

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Language: Tswana
Written by: Southern African Folktale
Illustrated by: Wiehan de Jager
Translated by: Lorato Trok
Reading level: ages 5–8 · kindergarten to 2nd grade · Level 2 · First sentences
From: South Africa, Namibia
Source: Global Storybooks
Licence: CC BY 3.0
Price: Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

Bana ba kerese is a short illustrated picture book in Tswana by Southern African Folktale, illustrated by Wiehan de Jager and translated by Lorato Trok. It is written for ages 5–8 (Grades 1–2) and is graded as Level 2 · First sentences, 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 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

Bogologolo tala go kile ga nna lelapa lengwe le le itumetseng. Ba ne ba sa rate ntwa mme ba ne ba thusa batsadi ba bona kwa gae le kwa masimong. Mme ba ne ba sa letlelelwa go atamela fa thoko…

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. “Bana ba kerese” 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 “Bana ba kerese” free to read?

Yes. “Bana ba kerese” 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 “Bana ba kerese” in?

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

What age is “Bana ba kerese” for?

It is best for ages 5–8 (Level 2 · First sentences). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.

Is “Bana ba kerese” available in other languages?

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

Who wrote “Bana ba kerese”?

“Bana ba kerese” was written by Southern African Folktale and illustrated by Wiehan de Jager; the Tswana translation is by Lorato Trok.

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Credits: Bana ba kerese — Written by Southern African Folktale; Illustrated by Wiehan de Jager; Translated by Lorato Trok. Tswana, Level 2. From Global Storybooks (southafricareads.org), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=2181). CC BY 3.0. · Page updated October 2026