PagineGo’aan
A free picture book in Somali by Ursula Nafula
Go’aan is a picture book in Somali for ages 5–8 by Ursula Nafula that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.
📖 Read it free →- Language
- Somali
- Written by
- Ursula Nafula
- Illustrated by
- Vusi Malindi
- Translated by
- Abdi Muse
- Reading level
- ages 5–8 · kindergarten to 2nd grade · Level 2 · First sentences
- From
- Kenya
- Source
- Global Storybooks
- Licence
- CC BY 4.0
- Price
- Free — read online, nothing to download
About this book
Go’aan is a short illustrated picture book in Somali by Ursula Nafula, illustrated by Vusi Malindi and translated by Abdi Muse. It is written for ages 5–8 (Grades 1–2) and is graded as Level 2 · First sentences, so it works as a read-aloud for little ones and as practice for children learning to read in Somali. The book comes from Global Storybooks and is shared under an open CC BY 4.0 licence, which is why it is free to read. The same story is available in 22 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).
How it begins
Tuuladayda waxay lahayd dhibaatooyin badan. Waxaan samaynay saf dheer si aan biyo ooga soo dhaansano tuubada. Waxaan sugnay raashin ay nagu deeqeen dad kale. Waxaan xirnay guryahanaga amin hore sababta oo ah tuugo. Caruur badan ayaa dugsiga ka baxday. Gabdhaha…Opening lines quoted from the openly licensed book (CC BY 4.0).
This story in other languages
Reading the same story in two languages helps bilingual children connect words they already know. “Go’aan” is also available in:
- Afrikaans · Die Besluit
- Bemba · Ukusalapo
- English · Decision
- Jamaican Creole · Disizhan
- Kaonde · Kufuukula
- Khoekhoegowab · Mîǁguib
- Kichaga · Irikiana
- Kiswahili · Uamuzi
- Lukhonzo · Eritwamo
- Lunda · Kuzhina
- Luvale · Kusakula
- Mauritian Creole · Desizion
- Nyanja · Ganizo
- Oshikwanyama · Etokolo
- Oshindonga · Etokolo
- Otjiherero · Omazuvasaneno
- Sesotho · Qeto
- Spanish · La decisión
- Tonga · Kusala
- Tswana · Tshwetso
- Turkana · Atiakun Akiroit
- Xhosa · Isigqibo
Reading together in Somali
- 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 Somali
Xayawaan tirin
Labo
Waa maxay sababta aysan jeerta ulahayn timo
Nin aad u dheer
Maalintii aan ka tagay guriga een magalada aaday
Fasaxyadii lala joogay ayeeyo
Yaxaaskii baahnaa
Karin
See all 40 free Somali books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩🏫 Assign this book to a class
Frequently asked questions
Is “Go’aan” free to read?
Yes. “Go’aan” 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 4.0).
What language is “Go’aan” in?
It is written in Somali. Pagine has 40 free children’s books in Somali.
What age is “Go’aan” for?
It is best for ages 5–8 (Level 2 · First sentences). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.
Is “Go’aan” available in other languages?
Yes — the same story is in English, Kiswahili, Turkana, Xhosa, Afrikaans, Tswana and more.
Who wrote “Go’aan”?
“Go’aan” was written by Ursula Nafula and illustrated by Vusi Malindi; the Somali translation is by Abdi Muse.
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Get the free app →Credits: Go’aan — Written by Ursula Nafula; Illustrated by Vusi Malindi; Translated by Abdi Muse; Read by Ibrahim Ahmed. Somali, Level 2. From Global Storybooks (global-asp.github.io/storybooks-kenya), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=13304). CC BY 4.0. · Page updated October 2026