PagineHeestii Sakima
A free picture book in Somali by Ursula Nafula
Heestii Sakima is a picture book in Somali for ages 5–11 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
- Peris Wachuka
- Translated by
- Abdi Muse
- Reading level
- ages 5–11 · kindergarten to 2nd grade, 3rd to 5th grade · Level 3 · First paragraphs
- From
- Kenya
- Source
- Global Storybooks
- Licence
- CC BY 4.0
- Price
- Free — read online, nothing to download
About this book
Heestii Sakima is a short illustrated picture book in Somali by Ursula Nafula, illustrated by Peris Wachuka and translated by Abdi Muse. It is written for ages 5–11 (Grades 2–3) and is graded as Level 3 · First paragraphs, 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 19 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).
How it begins
Sakima wuxuu la noolaa waalidkiisa iyo walaashiisa afar jirta ah. Waxay ku noolaayeen dhulka ninka hodanka ah. Mundul kooda cawska ah waxuu ku yaalay meesha ugu dambeysa geedaha safan. Marku Sakima ahaa saddex jir, ayuu xanuunsaday oo aragiisii waayay. Sakima…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. “Heestii Sakima” is also available in:
- Afrikaans · Sakima se lied
- Bemba · Ulwimbo lwakwa Sakima
- English · Sakima's song
- Jamaican Creole · Sakiima Sang
- Kaonde · Lwimbo wakwa Sakima
- Khoekhoegowab · Sakimab di ams
- Kiswahili · Wimbo wa Sakima
- Lukhonzo · Olwimbo lwa Sakima
- Lunda · Mwasu wa Sakima
- Luvale · Mwaso wa Sakima
- Mauritian Creole · Sakima so sante
- Nyanja · Nyimbo ya Sakima
- Oshikwanyama · Eimbilo laSakima
- Oshindonga · Ondjimbo yaSakima
- Otjiherero · Eimburiro ra Sakima
- Spanish · La canción de Sakima
- Tonga · Nyimbo ya Sakima
- Tswana · Pina ya ga Sakima
- Xhosa · Iculo lika Sakima
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
Simbegwire
Fiiri xayawaanada
Maxaad samaynaysaa?
Go’aan
Ilmo dameer ah
Waxa ay Vusi walaashiis tiri
Xayawaan tirin
Labo
See all 40 free Somali books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩🏫 Assign this book to a class
Frequently asked questions
Is “Heestii Sakima” free to read?
Yes. “Heestii Sakima” 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 “Heestii Sakima” in?
It is written in Somali. Pagine has 40 free children’s books in Somali.
What age is “Heestii Sakima” for?
It is best for ages 5–11 (Level 3 · First paragraphs). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.
Is “Heestii Sakima” available in other languages?
Yes — the same story is in English, Kiswahili, Xhosa, Afrikaans, Tswana, Lukhonzo and more.
Who wrote “Heestii Sakima”?
“Heestii Sakima” was written by Ursula Nafula and illustrated by Peris Wachuka; the Somali translation is by Abdi Muse.
Log books, set goals and build a daily reading habit — free on iOS, Android and the web.
Get the free app →Credits: Heestii Sakima — Written by Ursula Nafula; Illustrated by Peris Wachuka; Translated by Abdi Muse; Read by Ibrahim Ahmed. Somali, Level 3. From Global Storybooks (global-asp.github.io/storybooks-kenya), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=13244). CC BY 4.0. · Page updated October 2026