Goat, dog, and Malu
A free picture book in Nigerian Pidgin by Fabian Wakholi

Goat, dog, and Malu is a picture book in Nigerian Pidgin for ages 5–8 by Fabian Wakholi that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.
📖 Read it free →- Language
- Nigerian Pidgin
- Written by
- Fabian Wakholi
- Illustrated by
- Marleen Visser, Ingrid Schechter
- Translated by
- Anthonia Ujene
- Reading level
- ages 5–8 · kindergarten to 2nd grade · Level 2 · First sentences
- From
- Nigeria
- Source
- Global Storybooks
- Licence
- CC BY 3.0
- Price
- Free — read online, nothing to download
About this book
Goat, dog, and Malu is a short illustrated picture book in Nigerian Pidgin by Fabian Wakholi, illustrated by Marleen Visser, Ingrid Schechter and translated by Anthonia Ujene. 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 Nigerian Pidgin. 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
Goat, Dog and Malu dem be friends. Na so one day dem come travel inside moto. Wen dem reach where dem dey go, na em the driver come ask for moni. Malu pay em own. Dog put small moni join…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. “Goat, dog, and Malu” is also available in:
- Afrikaans · Bok, Hond en Koei
- Bemba · Imbushi, Imbwa ne ŋombe
- Dhopadhola · Dyel, Gwok Kodi Dhyaŋ
- English · Goat, Dog and Cow (Colour-in)
- Jamaican Creole · Guot, Daag an Kou
- Kaonde · Mbuzhi, Kabwa ne Ñombe
- Khoekhoegowab · Piris, Arib, tsî Gomas xa
- Kikamba · Mbui, Ngiti na Ng’ombe
- Kimaasai · Enkíné, Oldía ó Enkíténg
- Kiswahili · Mbuzi, Mbwa na Ng’ombe
- Luganda · Wambuzi, Wambwa ne Wante
- Lugbarati (official orthography) · Ndrí ‘ɨ, Òcó ‘ɨ àzɨ́nɨ Tí ‘ɨ
- Lukhonzo · Embene, Embwa, n’Ende
- Lumasaaba · Imbusi, Imbwa ni Ngaafu
- Lunda · Impembi, Kawa na Ng’ombi
- Lunyole · Embusi, Embwa n’Eῃombe
- Luvale · Phembe, Kawa, na Ngombe
- Mauritian Creole · Kabri, Lisien, ek Vas
- Nyanja · Mbuzi, Galu ndi Ng’ombe
- Oshikwanyama · Shikombo, Mbwa nOngobe
- Oshindonga · Oshikombo, ombwa nongombe
- Otjiherero · Ongombo, ombwa nongombe
- Rutooro · Embuzi, Embwa, N’Ente
- Sesotho · Podi, Ntja le kgomo
- Somali · Ri, Eey iyo Sac
- South Ndebele · Imbuzi, Inja Nekomo
- Spanish · La Cabra, el Perro y la Vaca
- Tonga · Mpongo, Mubwa a ŋombe
- Tswana · Podi,Ntsa le Kgomo
- Turkana · Akine, Ing’ok Ka Aite
- Xhosa · UBhokhwe, uNja, noNkomo
- Zulu · Imbuzi, Inja Nenkomo
Reading together in Nigerian Pidgin
- 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 Nigerian Pidgin
Na longie man o
Zana dey great!
Nozibele an three hairs
Count animals
Tingi and cows
Khalai yan with plant
See all 7 free Nigerian Pidgin books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩🏫 Assign this book to a class
Frequently asked questions
Is “Goat, dog, and Malu” free to read?
Yes. “Goat, dog, and Malu” 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 “Goat, dog, and Malu” in?
It is written in Nigerian Pidgin. Pagine has 7 free children’s books in Nigerian Pidgin.
What age is “Goat, dog, and Malu” for?
It is best for ages 5–8 (Level 2 · First sentences). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.
Is “Goat, dog, and Malu” available in other languages?
Yes — the same story is in English, Kiswahili, Kikamba, Kimaasai, Turkana, Somali and more.
Who wrote “Goat, dog, and Malu”?
“Goat, dog, and Malu” was written by Fabian Wakholi and illustrated by Marleen Visser, Ingrid Schechter; the Nigerian Pidgin translation is by Anthonia Ujene.
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Get the free app →Credits: Goat, dog, and Malu — Written by Fabian Wakholi; Illustrated by Marleen Visser, Ingrid Schechter; Translated by Anthonia Ujene. Nigerian Pidgin, Level 2. From Global Storybooks (global-asp.github.io/storybooks-nigeria), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=6380). CC BY 3.0. · Page updated October 2026