Hoekom seekoeie nie hare het nie

Name: Hoekom seekoeie nie hare het nie
Availability: InStock
Author: Basilio Gimo, David Ker

A free picture book in Afrikaans by Basilio Gimo, David Ker

Cover of Hoekom seekoeie nie hare het nie, a Afrikaans picture book

Hoekom seekoeie nie hare het nie is a picture book in Afrikaans for ages 5–8 by Basilio Gimo, David Ker that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.

📖 Read it free →

Language: Afrikaans
Written by: Basilio Gimo, David Ker
Illustrated by: Carol Liddiment
Translated by: Elizma Hiscock, Helena Vilonel
Reading level: ages 5–8 · kindergarten to 2nd grade · Level 2 · First sentences
From: South Africa, Namibia
Source: Global Storybooks
Licence: CC BY 3.0
Price: Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

Hoekom seekoeie nie hare het nie is a short illustrated picture book in Afrikaans by Basilio Gimo, David Ker, illustrated by Carol Liddiment and translated by Elizma Hiscock, Helena Vilonel. It is written for ages 5–8 (Grades 1–2) and is graded as Level 2 · First sentences, 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 31 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).

How it begins

Haas het eendag langs die rivier verby gestap. Seekoei was ook daar, hy was besig om die sappige groen gras te eet. Seekoei het nie vir Haas gesien nie en per ongeluk op Haas se voet getrap. Haas het begin…

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. “Hoekom seekoeie nie hare het nie” 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 “Hoekom seekoeie nie hare het nie” free to read?

Yes. “Hoekom seekoeie nie hare het nie” 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 “Hoekom seekoeie nie hare het nie” in?

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

What age is “Hoekom seekoeie nie hare het nie” for?

It is best for ages 5–8 (Level 2 · First sentences). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.

Is “Hoekom seekoeie nie hare het nie” available in other languages?

Yes — the same story is in Kiswahili, Kimaasai, Turkana, Somali, Zulu, Xhosa and more.

Who wrote “Hoekom seekoeie nie hare het nie”?

“Hoekom seekoeie nie hare het nie” was written by Basilio Gimo, David Ker and illustrated by Carol Liddiment; the Afrikaans translation is by Elizma Hiscock, Helena Vilonel.

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: Hoekom seekoeie nie hare het nie — Written by Basilio Gimo, David Ker; Illustrated by Carol Liddiment; Translated by Elizma Hiscock, Helena Vilonel; Read by Willemien Wannberg. Afrikaans, Level 2. From Global Storybooks (southafricareads.org), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=6160). CC BY 3.0. · Page updated October 2026