Buka ya seemo sa bosa

Name: Buka ya seemo sa bosa
Availability: InStock
Author: Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi

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

Cover of Buka ya seemo sa bosa, a Tswana picture book

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

About this book

Buka ya seemo sa bosa is a short illustrated picture book in Tswana by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi, illustrated by Sandra McDougall, Ingrid Schechter and translated by McDonald Kgobetsi. 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 Tswana. 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

Go omile. Letsatsi le gotetse. Go phefo. Go maru. Go tsididi. Pula e a na. Go na le logadima. Ke bona mola wa godimo. Buka ya seemo sa bosa — Written by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi; Illustrated by…

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 seemo sa bosa” 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 “Buka ya seemo sa bosa” free to read?

Yes. “Buka ya seemo sa bosa” 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 seemo sa bosa” in?

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

What age is “Buka ya seemo sa bosa” for?

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

Is “Buka ya seemo sa bosa” available in other languages?

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

Who wrote “Buka ya seemo sa bosa”?

“Buka ya seemo sa bosa” was written by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi and illustrated by Sandra McDougall, Ingrid Schechter; the Tswana translation is by McDonald Kgobetsi.

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Credits: Buka ya seemo sa bosa — Written by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi; Illustrated by Sandra McDougall, Ingrid Schechter; Translated by McDonald Kgobetsi. Tswana, 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