PagineHayi!
A free picture book in Xhosa by Liora Friedland
Hayi! is a picture book in Xhosa for ages 2–8 by Liora Friedland that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.
📖 Read it free →- Language
- Xhosa · isiXhosa
- Written by
- Liora Friedland
- Illustrated by
- Karen Vermeulen
- 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
Hayi! is a short illustrated picture book in Xhosa by Liora Friedland, illustrated by Karen Vermeulen. 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
Intombazana ethile encinci inomkhwa wokuthi ‘Hayi’. Usoloko esitsho rhoqo. Eneneni, ngalo lonke ixesha. Ngenye imini nakuba kunjalo, ujongana nombuzo omhenda kakhulu aze angakwazi kuzinceda kodwa athi ‘EWE’! Hayi! — Written by Liora Friedland; Illustrated by Karen Vermeulen; Designed by Melissa…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
Jonga Phezulu!
Ndiza kukunceda
Indlu kaMpukwana
Uphi uThabo?
Indebe yemiqhathane mayiwe
Amalungiselelo Amakhulu Embovane Encinane
Ukucula inyaniso: Ibali likaMiriam Makeba
Ndifuna!
See all 145 free Xhosa books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩🏫 Assign this book to a class
Frequently asked questions
Is “Hayi!” free to read?
Yes. “Hayi!” 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 “Hayi!” in?
It is written in Xhosa (isiXhosa). Pagine has 145 free children’s books in Xhosa.
What age is “Hayi!” for?
It is best for ages 2–8. Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.
Who wrote “Hayi!”?
“Hayi!” was written by Liora Friedland and illustrated by Karen Vermeulen.
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Get the free app →Credits: Hayi! — Written by Liora Friedland; Illustrated by Karen Vermeulen; Designed by Melissa Visser; Edited by Janita Holtzhausen. isiXhosa. Published by Book Dash (ISBN 978-1-77623-052-5). CC BY 4.0. Source: https://bookdash.org/books/hayi/ · Page updated October 2026