PagineBeste maats
A free picture book in Afrikaans by Julia Smuts Louw
Beste maats is a picture book in Afrikaans for ages 2–8 by Julia Smuts Louw that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.
📖 Read it free →- Language
- Afrikaans
- Written by
- Julia Smuts Louw
- Illustrated by
- Gerhard van Wyk
- Reading level
- ages 2–8 · preschool, kindergarten to 2nd grade
- From
- South Africa
- Source
- Book Dash
- Licence
- CC BY 4.0
- Price
- Free — read online, nothing to download
About this book
Beste maats is a short illustrated picture book in Afrikaans by Julia Smuts Louw, illustrated by Gerhard van Wyk. It is written for ages 2–8, so it works as a read-aloud for little ones and as practice for children learning to read in Afrikaans. The book comes from Book Dash and is shared under an open CC BY 4.0 licence, which is why it is free to read.
How it begins
Zindzi en Tim Tam is beste maats. Maar eendag kom Tim Tam nie skool toe nie. Wat gaan Zindzi nou maak? Beste maats — Written by Julia Smuts Louw; Illustrated by Gerhard van Wyk; Designed by Penny Waterkeyn. Afrikaans. Published…Opening lines quoted from the openly licensed book (CC BY 4.0).
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
Donkie-kind
Sakima se lied
Pam-Pam voël
Knorrige Wolk
Klein spruitjies
Die Onthou-boom
Die baie moeë leeuwyfie
Mogau se Gawe
See all 143 free Afrikaans books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩🏫 Assign this book to a class
Frequently asked questions
Is “Beste maats” free to read?
Yes. “Beste maats” 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 4.0).
What language is “Beste maats” in?
It is written in Afrikaans. Pagine has 143 free children’s books in Afrikaans.
What age is “Beste maats” for?
It is best for ages 2–8. Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.
Who wrote “Beste maats”?
“Beste maats” was written by Julia Smuts Louw and illustrated by Gerhard van Wyk.
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Get the free app →Credits: Beste maats — Written by Julia Smuts Louw; Illustrated by Gerhard van Wyk; Designed by Penny Waterkeyn. Afrikaans. Published by Book Dash (ISBN 978-1-997425-42-7). CC BY 4.0. Source: https://bookdash.org/books/beste-maats/ · Page updated October 2026