Donne Sɔrebo

Name: Donne Sɔrebo
Availability: InStock
Author: Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek

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

Cover of Donne Sɔrebo, a Dagaare picture book

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

📖 Read it free →

Language: Dagaare
Written by: Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek
Illustrated by: Rob Owen
Translated by: Gilbieri Jonathan (OLE Ghana)
Reading level: ages 2–8 · preschool, kindergarten to 2nd grade · Level 1 · First words
From: Ghana
Source: Global Storybooks
Licence: CC BY 3.0
Price: Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

Donne Sɔrebo is a short illustrated picture book in Dagaare by Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek, illustrated by Rob Owen and translated by Gilbieri Jonathan (OLE Ghana). 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 Dagaare. 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 32 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).

How it begins

Wɔɔ-yeni gara la ka o nyu kõɔ. Nyoome ayi gara la ka a nyu kõɔ. Mɔnii ata ane nuuli anaare meŋ gara la ka a nyu kõɔ. Mɔbaare anuu ane mɔdorri ayoɔbo meŋ gara la ka a nyu kõɔ. Mɔwie…

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. “Donne Sɔrebo” is also available in:

Reading together in Dagaare

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 Dagaare

See all 3 free Dagaare books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩‍🏫 Assign this book to a class

Frequently asked questions

Is “Donne Sɔrebo” free to read?

Yes. “Donne Sɔrebo” 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 “Donne Sɔrebo” in?

It is written in Dagaare. Pagine has 3 free children’s books in Dagaare.

What age is “Donne Sɔrebo” for?

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

Is “Donne Sɔrebo” available in other languages?

Yes — the same story is in Nigerian Pidgin, Hausa, Kiswahili, Somali, Xhosa, Afrikaans and more.

Who wrote “Donne Sɔrebo”?

“Donne Sɔrebo” was written by Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek and illustrated by Rob Owen; the Dagaare translation is by Gilbieri Jonathan (OLE Ghana).

Scan to get the free Pagine reading tracker app

Track reading with the free Pagine app

Log books, set goals and build a daily reading habit — free on iOS, Android and the web.

Get the free app →

Credits: Donne Sɔrebo — Written by Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek; Illustrated by Rob Owen; Translated by Gilbieri Jonathan (OLE Ghana). Dagaare, Level 1. From Global Storybooks (global-asp.github.io/storybooks-ghana), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=9671). CC BY 3.0. · Page updated October 2026