PagineGumba
A free picture book in Venda by Mirna Lawrence
Gumba is a picture book in Venda for ages 2–8 by Mirna Lawrence that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.
📖 Read it free →- Language
- Venda · Tshivenḓa
- Written by
- Mirna Lawrence
- Illustrated by
- Megan Naudé
- Reading level
- ages 2–8 · preschool, kindergarten to 2nd grade
- From
- South Africa
- Source
- Book Dash
- Licence
- CC BY 4.0
- Price
- Free — read online, nothing to download
About this book
Gumba is a short illustrated picture book in Venda by Mirna Lawrence, illustrated by Megan Naudé. It is written for ages 2–8, so it works as a read-aloud for little ones and as practice for children learning to read in Venda. The book comes from Book Dash and is shared under an open CC BY 4.0 licence, which is why it is free to read.
How it begins
Ngweṋa, Tshibode, Phengwini na Khuhu zwo wana gumba. Ndi gumba ḽazwo naa? ‘Gumba ḽashu,’ hu amba mme na baba nga u ḓihudza mafhedziseloni. Wanani uri ndi gumba ḽa nnyi. Gumba — Written by Mirna Lawrence; Illustrated by Megan Naudé; Designed…Opening lines quoted from the openly licensed book (CC BY 4.0).
Reading together in Venda
- 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 Venda
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Magozwe
Zwienda zwa Ḓongololo
See all 50 free Venda books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩🏫 Assign this book to a class
Frequently asked questions
Is “Gumba” free to read?
Yes. “Gumba” 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 “Gumba” in?
It is written in Venda (Tshivenḓa). Pagine has 50 free children’s books in Venda.
What age is “Gumba” for?
It is best for ages 2–8. Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.
Who wrote “Gumba”?
“Gumba” was written by Mirna Lawrence and illustrated by Megan Naudé.
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Get the free app →Credits: Gumba — Written by Mirna Lawrence; Illustrated by Megan Naudé; Designed by Georgia Demertzis; Edited by Nabeela Kalla. Tshivenḓa. Published by Book Dash (ISBN 978-1-77632-463-7). CC BY 4.0. Source: https://bookdash.org/books/gumba/ · Page updated October 2026