PagineHawu-Hawu!
A free picture book in Xhosa by Sindiwe Magona
Hawu-Hawu! is a picture book in Xhosa for ages 2–8 by Sindiwe Magona that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.
📖 Read it free →- Language
- Xhosa · isiXhosa
- Written by
- Sindiwe Magona
- Illustrated by
- Nicolene Louw
- 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
Hawu-Hawu! is a short illustrated picture book in Xhosa by Sindiwe Magona, illustrated by Nicolene Louw. 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 Xhosa. 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
UNjanana ufuna ukudlala, kodwa uBhabha uyoyika. Hawu-Hawu! — Written by Sindiwe Magona; Illustrated by Nicolene Louw; Designed by Christelle Grobler; Edited by Glynis Lloyd. isiXhosa. Published by Book Dash (ISBN 978-1-928497-37-0). CC BY 4.0. Source: https://bookdash.org/books/hawu-hawu/Opening lines quoted from the openly licensed book (CC BY 4.0).
Reading together in Xhosa
- 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 Xhosa
Ummangaliso wosuku lokuzalwa lukaThato
Intlanzi eyayingakwazi kuqubha
Isiphiwo sikaMogau
Masibe nosuku lwangaphakati
Molo
UFudo ufumene ikhaya lakhe
UYapo Uhlangula Usuku
Iinwele
See all 145 free Xhosa books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩🏫 Assign this book to a class
Frequently asked questions
Is “Hawu-Hawu!” free to read?
Yes. “Hawu-Hawu!” 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 “Hawu-Hawu!” in?
It is written in Xhosa (isiXhosa). Pagine has 145 free children’s books in Xhosa.
What age is “Hawu-Hawu!” for?
It is best for ages 2–8. Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.
Who wrote “Hawu-Hawu!”?
“Hawu-Hawu!” was written by Sindiwe Magona and illustrated by Nicolene Louw.
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Get the free app →Credits: Hawu-Hawu! — Written by Sindiwe Magona; Illustrated by Nicolene Louw; Designed by Christelle Grobler; Edited by Glynis Lloyd. isiXhosa. Published by Book Dash (ISBN 978-1-928497-37-0). CC BY 4.0. Source: https://bookdash.org/books/hawu-hawu/ · Page updated October 2026