Dede vile A’bua ri

Name: Dede vile A’bua ri
Availability: InStock
Author: Ursula Nafula

A free picture book in Lugbarati (official orthography) by Ursula Nafula

Cover of Dede vile A’bua ri, a Lugbarati (official orthography) picture book

Dede vile A’bua ri is a picture book in Lugbarati (official orthography) for ages 8–11 by Ursula Nafula that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.

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Language: Lugbarati (official orthography)
Written by: Ursula Nafula
Illustrated by: Catherine Groenewald
Translated by: Dorothy Fetaru
Reading level: ages 8–11 · 3rd to 5th grade · Level 4 · Longer paragraphs
From: Uganda
Source: Global Storybooks
Licence: CC BY 3.0
Price: Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

Dede vile A’bua ri is a short illustrated picture book in Lugbarati (official orthography) by Ursula Nafula, illustrated by Catherine Groenewald and translated by Dorothy Fetaru. It is written for ages 8–11 (Grades 3–4) and is graded as Level 4 · Longer paragraphs, so it works as a read-aloud for little ones and as practice for children learning to read in Lugbarati (official orthography). The book comes from Global Storybooks and is shared under an open CC BY 3.0 licence, which is why it is free to read. The same story is available in 18 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).

How it begins

Dèdé vɨ ́lé ámvú rɨ ̀ ndrâ ònyɨ ̀rʉ́ tʉ̀ – òndʉ́ pie tré tré, ànyá pie, àzɨ ́nɨ òlâ pie. Te àfa nděɨ ónyɨ ̀sɨ ̀ nɨ ̀ rɨ ̀ ndrâ à’búà nɨ. D̀edé mà á’bí anzɨ yɨ nɨ…

Opening lines quoted from the openly licensed book (CC BY 3.0).

This story in other languages

Reading the same story in two languages helps bilingual children connect words they already know. “Dede vile A’bua ri” is also available in:

Reading together in Lugbarati (official orthography)

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 Lugbarati (official orthography)

See all 13 free Lugbarati (official orthography) books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩‍🏫 Assign this book to a class

Frequently asked questions

Is “Dede vile A’bua ri” free to read?

Yes. “Dede vile A’bua ri” 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 3.0).

What language is “Dede vile A’bua ri” in?

It is written in Lugbarati (official orthography). Pagine has 13 free children’s books in Lugbarati (official orthography).

What age is “Dede vile A’bua ri” for?

It is best for ages 8–11 (Level 4 · Longer paragraphs). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.

Is “Dede vile A’bua ri” available in other languages?

Yes — the same story is in EkeGusii, Kikamba, Kimaasai, Somali, Afrikaans, Tswana and more.

Who wrote “Dede vile A’bua ri”?

“Dede vile A’bua ri” was written by Ursula Nafula and illustrated by Catherine Groenewald; the Lugbarati (official orthography) translation is by Dorothy Fetaru.

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Credits: Dede vile A’bua ri — Written by Ursula Nafula; Illustrated by Catherine Groenewald; Translated by Dorothy Fetaru. Lugbarati (official orthography), Level 4. From Global Storybooks (global-asp.github.io/storybooks-uganda), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=2094). CC BY 3.0. · Page updated October 2026