Iinwele

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

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

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Language: Xhosa
Written by: Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi
Illustrated by: Bronwen Heath, Ingrid Schechter
Translated by: Bukiwe Tiyane
Reading level: ages 2–8 · preschool, kindergarten to 2nd grade · Level 1 · First words
From: South Africa
Source: Global Storybooks
Licence: CC BY-NC 3.0
Price: Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

Iinwele is a short illustrated picture book in Xhosa by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi, illustrated by Bronwen Heath, Ingrid Schechter and translated by Bukiwe Tiyane. 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 Xhosa. 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 34 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).

How it begins

UThuli uneenwele ezimfutshane. UAnna uneenwele ezinde. UCathy uneenwele ezinde kakhulu. UZama uzolukile iinwele zakhe. Utata uneendevu. UZanele uzikamile iinwele zakhe. UThabo uzichebile iinwele zakhe. UThemba uzitshevile iinwele zakhe. Iinwele — Written by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi; Illustrated 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. “Iinwele” is also available in:

Reading together in Xhosa

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 Xhosa

See all 145 free Xhosa books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩‍🏫 Assign this book to a class

Frequently asked questions

Is “Iinwele” free to read?

Yes. “Iinwele” 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 “Iinwele” in?

It is written in Xhosa. Pagine has 145 free children’s books in Xhosa.

What age is “Iinwele” for?

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

Is “Iinwele” available in other languages?

Yes — the same story is in English, Kiswahili, Kikamba, Kimaasai, Turkana, Somali and more.

Who wrote “Iinwele”?

“Iinwele” was written by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi and illustrated by Bronwen Heath, Ingrid Schechter; the Xhosa translation is by Bukiwe Tiyane.

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Credits: Iinwele — Written by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi; Illustrated by Bronwen Heath, Ingrid Schechter; Translated by Bukiwe Tiyane. Xhosa, Level 1. From Global Storybooks (southafricareads.org), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=1746). CC BY-NC 3.0. · Page updated October 2026