Ho bala diphoofolo

Name: Ho bala diphoofolo
Availability: InStock
Author: Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek

A free picture book in Sesotho by Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek

Cover of Ho bala diphoofolo, a Sesotho picture book

Ho bala diphoofolo is a picture book in Sesotho for ages 2–8 by Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.

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Language: Sesotho
Written by: Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek
Illustrated by: Rob Owen
Translated by: Maria Vaz
Reading level: ages 2–8 · preschool, kindergarten to 2nd grade · Level 1 · First words
From: South Africa
Source: Global Storybooks
Licence: CC BY 3.0
Price: Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

Ho bala diphoofolo is a short illustrated picture book in Sesotho by Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek, illustrated by Rob Owen and translated by Maria Vaz. It is written for ages 2–8 (Nursery–Year 1) and is graded as Level 1 · First words, so it works as a read-aloud for little ones and as practice for children learning to read in Sesotho. 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 32 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).

How it begins

Tlou e le nngwe e ilo nwa metsi. Dithuhlo tse pedi di ilo nwa metsi. Dinare tse tharo le dinonyana tse nne le tsona tsa ilo nwa metsi. Diimpala tse hlano le dikolobemoru tse tsheletseng di ya metsing. Diqwaha tse…

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. “Ho bala diphoofolo” is also available in:

Reading together in Sesotho

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 Sesotho

See all 125 free Sesotho books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩‍🏫 Assign this book to a class

Frequently asked questions

Is “Ho bala diphoofolo” free to read?

Yes. “Ho bala diphoofolo” 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 “Ho bala diphoofolo” in?

It is written in Sesotho. Pagine has 125 free children’s books in Sesotho.

What age is “Ho bala diphoofolo” for?

It is best for ages 2–8 (Level 1 · First words). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.

Is “Ho bala diphoofolo” available in other languages?

Yes — the same story is in Nigerian Pidgin, Hausa, Kiswahili, Somali, Xhosa, Afrikaans and more.

Who wrote “Ho bala diphoofolo”?

“Ho bala diphoofolo” was written by Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek and illustrated by Rob Owen; the Sesotho translation is by Maria Vaz.

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Credits: Ho bala diphoofolo — Written by Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek; Illustrated by Rob Owen; Translated by Maria Vaz. Sesotho, Level 1. From Global Storybooks (southafricareads.org), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=9671). CC BY 3.0. · Page updated October 2026