Hen en Arend

Name: Hen en Arend
Availability: InStock
Author: Ann Nduku

A free picture book in Afrikaans by Ann Nduku

Cover of Hen en Arend, a Afrikaans picture book

Hen en Arend is a picture book in Afrikaans for ages 5–11 by Ann Nduku that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.

📖 Read it free →

Language: Afrikaans
Written by: Ann Nduku
Illustrated by: Wiehan de Jager
Translated by: Willemien Wannberg
Reading level: ages 5–11 · kindergarten to 2nd grade, 3rd to 5th grade · Level 3 · First paragraphs
From: South Africa, Namibia
Source: Global Storybooks
Licence: CC BY 3.0
Price: Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

Hen en Arend is a short illustrated picture book in Afrikaans by Ann Nduku, illustrated by Wiehan de Jager and translated by Willemien Wannberg. 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 Afrikaans. 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 27 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).

How it begins

Eendag, lank, lank gelede, was Hen en Arend vriende. Hulle het in vrede saamgeleef met al die ander voëls. Nie een van hulle kon vlieg nie. Eendag was daar ‘n hongersnood in die land. Arend moes baie ver loop om…

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. “Hen en Arend” is also available in:

Reading together in Afrikaans

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 Afrikaans

See all 143 free Afrikaans books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩‍🏫 Assign this book to a class

Frequently asked questions

Is “Hen en Arend” free to read?

Yes. “Hen en Arend” 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 “Hen en Arend” in?

It is written in Afrikaans. Pagine has 143 free children’s books in Afrikaans.

What age is “Hen en Arend” for?

It is best for ages 5–11 (Level 3 · First paragraphs). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.

Is “Hen en Arend” available in other languages?

Yes — the same story is in English, Kiswahili, EkeGusii, Somali, Xhosa, Tswana and more.

Who wrote “Hen en Arend”?

“Hen en Arend” was written by Ann Nduku and illustrated by Wiehan de Jager; the Afrikaans translation is by Willemien Wannberg.

Scan to get the free Pagine reading tracker app

Track reading with the free Pagine app

Log books, set goals and build a daily reading habit — free on iOS, Android and the web.

Get the free app →

Credits: Hen en Arend — Written by Ann Nduku; Illustrated by Wiehan de Jager; Translated by Willemien Wannberg; Read by Willemien Wannberg. Afrikaans, Level 3. From Global Storybooks (southafricareads.org), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=2084). CC BY 3.0. · Page updated October 2026