Epupi Ekon Etau Biai?
A free picture book in Ateso by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi

Epupi Ekon Etau Biai? is a picture book in Ateso 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
- Ateso
- Written by
- Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi
- Illustrated by
- Kathy Arbuckle, Ingrid Schechter
- Translated by
- Ignatius Okurut, Alfred Ochai, Karim Osuje
- Reading level
- ages 2–8 · preschool, kindergarten to 2nd grade · Level 1 · First words
- From
- Uganda
- Source
- Global Storybooks
- Licence
- CC BY-NC 3.0
- Price
- Free — read online, nothing to download
About this book
Epupi Ekon Etau Biai? is a short illustrated picture book in Ateso by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi, illustrated by Kathy Arbuckle, Ingrid Schechter and translated by Ignatius Okurut, Alfred Ochai, Karim Osuje. 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 Ateso. 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 29 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).
How it begins
Idila eka etau aipup iboro luipu. Apupi eongo aiyalama ne itatamianakina isio tataaka awaragasia ebong. Asubi eongo abang ne abolia eongo keda apaperoka. Apupi eongo erono arai etema papaka ebe emameete ngesi ikapun. Apupi eongo ebe eminai eongo arai etun…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. “Epupi Ekon Etau Biai?” is also available in:
- Afrikaans · Gevoelens
- Aringati · Cã ndíru ꞌbã íj̣ ọ́ ĩtrĩkã ŋá
- Bemba · Ifyo ngumfwa
- English · Feelings
- Jamaican Creole · Fiilinz
- Kaonde · Byoñumvwa
- Khoekhoegowab · Tsâsigu
- Kikamba · Kwĩw’a
- Kimaasai · Aníng
- Kiswahili · Hisia
- Lugbarati (official orthography) · Àfaamázʉ́
- Lukhonzo · Eriyowa
- Lumasaaba · Bibyambaso
- Lunda · Munatiyilang’a
- Lunyole · Weŋulira otye?
- Lusoga · Mpulira
- Luvale · Kwivwa
- Mauritian Creole · Santiman
- Nyanja · Zomvelela
- Oshikwanyama · Omaliudo
- Oshindonga · Omaiyuvo
- Otjiherero · Omerimwino
- Sesotho · Maikutlo
- Somali · Dareen
- Spanish · Sentimientos
- Tonga · Kulimvwa
- Tswana · Maikutlo
- Turkana · Ng’Akiiranaret Akwaan
- Xhosa · Iimvakalelo
Reading together in Ateso
- 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 Ateso
See all 8 free Ateso books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩🏫 Assign this book to a class
Frequently asked questions
Is “Epupi Ekon Etau Biai?” free to read?
Yes. “Epupi Ekon Etau Biai?” 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 “Epupi Ekon Etau Biai?” in?
It is written in Ateso. Pagine has 8 free children’s books in Ateso.
What age is “Epupi Ekon Etau Biai?” for?
It is best for ages 2–8 (Level 1 · First words). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.
Is “Epupi Ekon Etau Biai?” available in other languages?
Yes — the same story is in English, Kiswahili, Kikamba, Kimaasai, Turkana, Somali and more.
Who wrote “Epupi Ekon Etau Biai?”?
“Epupi Ekon Etau Biai?” was written by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi and illustrated by Kathy Arbuckle, Ingrid Schechter; the Ateso translation is by Ignatius Okurut, Alfred Ochai, Karim Osuje.
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Get the free app →Credits: Epupi Ekon Etau Biai? — Written by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi; Illustrated by Kathy Arbuckle, Ingrid Schechter; Translated by Ignatius Okurut, Alfred Ochai, Karim Osuje. Ateso, Level 1. From Global Storybooks (global-asp.github.io/storybooks-uganda), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=2884). CC BY-NC 3.0. · Page updated October 2026
