Fiilinz

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

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

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Language: Jamaican Creole
Written by: Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi
Illustrated by: Kathy Arbuckle, Ingrid Schechter
Translated by: Georgette McGlashen
Reading level: ages 2–8 · preschool, kindergarten to 2nd grade · Level 1 · First words
From: Jamaica
Source: Global Storybooks
Licence: CC BY-NC 3.0
Price: Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

Fiilinz is a short illustrated picture book in Jamaican Creole by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi, illustrated by Kathy Arbuckle, Ingrid Schechter and translated by Georgette McGlashen. 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 Jamaican Creole. 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

Mi aat ful wid aal kaina fiilinz. Mi fiil api wen mi grani tel wi stuori inna di iivlin. Mi fiil fuul-fuul wen mi plie wid mi fren. Mi fiil bad wen mi faada se im na’av no moni. Mi…

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. “Fiilinz” is also available in:

Reading together in Jamaican Creole

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 Jamaican Creole

See all 40 free Jamaican Creole books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩‍🏫 Assign this book to a class

Frequently asked questions

Is “Fiilinz” free to read?

Yes. “Fiilinz” 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 “Fiilinz” in?

It is written in Jamaican Creole. Pagine has 40 free children’s books in Jamaican Creole.

What age is “Fiilinz” for?

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

Is “Fiilinz” available in other languages?

Yes — the same story is in English, Kiswahili, Kikamba, Kimaasai, Turkana, Somali and more.

Who wrote “Fiilinz”?

“Fiilinz” was written by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi and illustrated by Kathy Arbuckle, Ingrid Schechter; the Jamaican Creole translation is by Georgette McGlashen.

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Credits: Fiilinz — Written by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi; Illustrated by Kathy Arbuckle, Ingrid Schechter; Translated by Georgette McGlashen. Jamaican Creole, Level 1. From Global Storybooks (global-asp.github.io/storybooks-jamaica), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=2884). CC BY-NC 3.0. · Page updated October 2026