PagineBuya Kati!
A free picture book in Swati by Nicola Rijsdijk
Buya Kati! is a picture book in Swati for ages 2–8 by Nicola Rijsdijk that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.
📖 Read it free →- Language
- Swati · siSwati
- Written by
- Nicola Rijsdijk
- Illustrated by
- Karen Lilje
- 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
Buya Kati! is a short illustrated picture book in Swati by Nicola Rijsdijk, illustrated by Karen Lilje. 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 Swati. 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
Indzaba lemnandzi yelikati lelikhululekile. Kute emakati lalinyatwa nakukhicitwa lencwadzi. Buya Kati! — Written by Nicola Rijsdijk; Illustrated by Karen Lilje; Designed by Sam Scarborough. siSwati. Published by Book Dash (ISBN 978-1-928365-02-0). CC BY 4.0. Source: https://bookdash.org/books/buya-kati-2/Opening lines quoted from the openly licensed book (CC BY 4.0).
Reading together in Swati
- 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 Swati
Ngiyakutsandza kufundza
Kungani imvubu ingena tinwele
Asihambeni siyotingela tibi
Ulala njani?
Shaka naMazi
Kumamatseka kwaSizwe
Fudvu Utfola Likhaya Lakhe
Inkhosi yetinyoni
See all 68 free Swati books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩🏫 Assign this book to a class
Frequently asked questions
Is “Buya Kati!” free to read?
Yes. “Buya Kati!” 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 “Buya Kati!” in?
It is written in Swati (siSwati). Pagine has 68 free children’s books in Swati.
What age is “Buya Kati!” for?
It is best for ages 2–8. Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.
Who wrote “Buya Kati!”?
“Buya Kati!” was written by Nicola Rijsdijk and illustrated by Karen Lilje.
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Get the free app →Credits: Buya Kati! — Written by Nicola Rijsdijk; Illustrated by Karen Lilje; Designed by Sam Scarborough. siSwati. Published by Book Dash (ISBN 978-1-928365-02-0). CC BY 4.0. Source: https://bookdash.org/books/buya-kati-2/ · Page updated October 2026