Dabisili nahiŋgbana buku

Name: Dabisili nahiŋgbana buku
Availability: InStock
Author: Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi

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

Cover of Dabisili nahiŋgbana buku, a Dagbani picture book

Dabisili nahiŋgbana buku is a picture book in Dagbani for ages 2–8 by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.

📖 Read it free →

Language: Dagbani
Written by: Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi
Illustrated by: Sandra McDougall, Ingrid Schechter
Translated by: Adam Peter Pazzack
Reading level: ages 2–8 · preschool, kindergarten to 2nd grade · Level 1 · First words
From: Ghana
Source: Global Storybooks
Licence: CC BY-NC 3.0
Price: Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

Dabisili nahiŋgbana buku is a short illustrated picture book in Dagbani by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi, illustrated by Sandra McDougall, Ingrid Schechter and translated by Adam Peter Pazzack. 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 Dagbani. 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

Di kuuya pam. Tulim beni pam. Pɔhim beni. Zuɣusaa zibiya. Wari beni. Saa mira. Satahigu beni. N nya sagani. Dabisili nahiŋgbana buku — Written by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi; Illustrated by Sandra McDougall, Ingrid Schechter; Translated by Adam…

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. “Dabisili nahiŋgbana buku” is also available in:

Reading together in Dagbani

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 Dagbani

See all 10 free Dagbani books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩‍🏫 Assign this book to a class

Frequently asked questions

Is “Dabisili nahiŋgbana buku” free to read?

Yes. “Dabisili nahiŋgbana buku” 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 “Dabisili nahiŋgbana buku” in?

It is written in Dagbani. Pagine has 10 free children’s books in Dagbani.

What age is “Dabisili nahiŋgbana buku” for?

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

Is “Dabisili nahiŋgbana buku” available in other languages?

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

Who wrote “Dabisili nahiŋgbana buku”?

“Dabisili nahiŋgbana buku” was written by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi and illustrated by Sandra McDougall, Ingrid Schechter; the Dagbani translation is by Adam Peter Pazzack.

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Credits: Dabisili nahiŋgbana buku — Written by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi; Illustrated by Sandra McDougall, Ingrid Schechter; Translated by Adam Peter Pazzack. Dagbani, Level 1. From Global Storybooks (global-asp.github.io/storybooks-ghana), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=1861). CC BY-NC 3.0. · Page updated October 2026