PagineIgĩrĩ
A free picture book in Kikuyu by Carole Bloch
Igĩrĩ is a picture book in Kikuyu for ages 2–8 by Carole Bloch that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.
📖 Read it free →- Language
- Kikuyu
- Written by
- Carole Bloch
- Illustrated by
- Richard MacIntosh
- Translated by
- Lilian Wachira
- Reading level
- ages 2–8 · preschool, kindergarten to 2nd grade · Level 1 · First words
- From
- Kenya
- Source
- Global Storybooks
- Licence
- CC BY-NC 3.0
- Price
- Free — read online, nothing to download
About this book
Igĩrĩ is a short illustrated picture book in Kikuyu by Carole Bloch, illustrated by Richard MacIntosh and translated by Lilian Wachira. 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 Kikuyu. The book comes from Global Storybooks and is shared under an open CC BY-NC 3.0 licence, which is why it is free to read. The same story is available in 26 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).
How it begins
Moko manini merĩ ma kũnyita. Magũrũ merĩ manini ma gũikia teke. Maitho merĩ manini ma kũona. Matũ merĩ manini ma kuigua. Na moko merĩ ma GUKŨMBATĨRIA na wendo. Igĩrĩ — Written by Carole Bloch; Illustrated by Richard MacIntosh; Translated by…Opening lines quoted from the openly licensed book (CC BY-NC 3.0).
This story in other languages
Reading the same story in two languages helps bilingual children connect words they already know. “Igĩrĩ” is also available in:
- Afrikaans · Twee
- Bemba · Tubili
- Dagbani · ayi
- English · Two
- Jamaican Creole · Tuu
- Kaonde · Tubiji
- Khoekhoegowab · ǀGam
- Kigogo · Nyejete
- Kiswahili · Mbili
- Krio · Tu
- Lukhonzo · Ibiri
- Lunda · Ayedi
- Luvale · Avali
- Mauritian Creole · De
- Nyanja · Awili
- Oshikwanyama · Mbali
- Oshindonga · Mbali
- Otjiherero · Uvari
- Sepedi · Pedi
- Sesotho · Pedi
- Somali · Labo
- Spanish · Dos
- Tonga · Tobilo
- Tswana · Pedi
- Turkana · Ng’arei
- Zulu · Ezimbili
Reading together in Kikuyu
- 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 Kikuyu
See all 5 free Kikuyu books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩🏫 Assign this book to a class
Frequently asked questions
Is “Igĩrĩ” free to read?
Yes. “Igĩrĩ” 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-NC 3.0).
What language is “Igĩrĩ” in?
It is written in Kikuyu. Pagine has 5 free children’s books in Kikuyu.
What age is “Igĩrĩ” for?
It is best for ages 2–8 (Level 1 · First words). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.
Is “Igĩrĩ” available in other languages?
Yes — the same story is in English, Kiswahili, Turkana, Somali, Zulu, Afrikaans and more.
Who wrote “Igĩrĩ”?
“Igĩrĩ” was written by Carole Bloch and illustrated by Richard MacIntosh; the Kikuyu translation is by Lilian Wachira.
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Get the free app →Credits: Igĩrĩ — Written by Carole Bloch; Illustrated by Richard MacIntosh; Translated by Lilian Wachira. Kikuyu, Level 1. From Global Storybooks (global-asp.github.io/storybooks-kenya), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=3072). CC BY-NC 3.0. · Page updated October 2026