Buka ya boemo ba lehodimo

Name: Buka ya boemo ba lehodimo
Availability: InStock
Author: Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi

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

Cover of Buka ya boemo ba lehodimo, a Sesotho picture book

Buka ya boemo ba lehodimo is a picture book in Sesotho 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: Sesotho
Written by: Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi
Illustrated by: Sandra McDougall, Ingrid Schechter
Translated by: Maria Vaz
Reading level: ages 2–8 · preschool, kindergarten to 2nd grade · Level 1 · First words
From: South Africa
Source: Global Storybooks
Licence: CC BY-NC 3.0
Price: Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

Buka ya boemo ba lehodimo is a short illustrated picture book in Sesotho by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi, illustrated by Sandra McDougall, Ingrid Schechter and translated by Maria Vaz. 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 Sesotho. 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 37 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).

How it begins

Ho omme. Letsatsi le a tjhesa. Ho na le moya. Maru a thibile. Ho a bata. Pula e a na. Lehadima le duma. Ke bona mookodi. Buka ya boemo ba lehodimo — Written by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi;…

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. “Buka ya boemo ba lehodimo” is also available in:

Reading together in Sesotho

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 Sesotho

See all 125 free Sesotho books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩‍🏫 Assign this book to a class

Frequently asked questions

Is “Buka ya boemo ba lehodimo” free to read?

Yes. “Buka ya boemo ba lehodimo” 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 “Buka ya boemo ba lehodimo” in?

It is written in Sesotho. Pagine has 125 free children’s books in Sesotho.

What age is “Buka ya boemo ba lehodimo” for?

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

Is “Buka ya boemo ba lehodimo” available in other languages?

Yes — the same story is in English, Yoruba, Kiswahili, Kikuyu, Kimaasai, Turkana and more.

Who wrote “Buka ya boemo ba lehodimo”?

“Buka ya boemo ba lehodimo” was written by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi and illustrated by Sandra McDougall, Ingrid Schechter; the Sesotho translation is by Maria Vaz.

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Credits: Buka ya boemo ba lehodimo — Written by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi; Illustrated by Sandra McDougall, Ingrid Schechter; Translated by Maria Vaz. Sesotho, Level 1. From Global Storybooks (southafricareads.org), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=1861). CC BY-NC 3.0. · Page updated October 2026