PagineBuya, katsu!
A free picture book in South Ndebele by Nicola Rijsdijk
Buya, katsu! is a picture book in South Ndebele for ages 2–8 by Nicola Rijsdijk that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.
📖 Read it free →- Language
- South Ndebele · isiNdebele
- 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, katsu! is a short illustrated picture book in South Ndebele 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 South Ndebele. 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
Indatjana emnandi emayelana nokatsu otjhaphulukileko. Abekho abokatsu abalinyaziweko ekwenziweni kwencwadi le. Buya, katsu! — Written by Nicola Rijsdijk; Illustrated by Karen Lilje; Designed by Sam Scarborough. isiNdebele. Published by Book Dash (ISBN 978-1-77623-169-0). CC BY 4.0. Source: https://bookdash.org/books/buya-katsu/Opening lines quoted from the openly licensed book (CC BY 4.0).
Reading together in South Ndebele
- 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 South Ndebele
UPako iZuba Uyanyamalala
IQhinga lakaTjhontjhwani
Wuuf-wuuf!
Ihlathi leenyoka
Ibhesi ekulu ehlaza sasibhakabhaka
Utjhontjhwani usindisa izuba
Umdoko
Tjheja, Luthando!
See all 69 free South Ndebele books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩🏫 Assign this book to a class
Frequently asked questions
Is “Buya, katsu!” free to read?
Yes. “Buya, katsu!” 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, katsu!” in?
It is written in South Ndebele (isiNdebele). Pagine has 69 free children’s books in South Ndebele.
What age is “Buya, katsu!” for?
It is best for ages 2–8. Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.
Who wrote “Buya, katsu!”?
“Buya, katsu!” was written by Nicola Rijsdijk and illustrated by Karen Lilje.
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Get the free app →Credits: Buya, katsu! — Written by Nicola Rijsdijk; Illustrated by Karen Lilje; Designed by Sam Scarborough. isiNdebele. Published by Book Dash (ISBN 978-1-77623-169-0). CC BY 4.0. Source: https://bookdash.org/books/buya-katsu/ · Page updated October 2026