Inkonde shaba maama

A free picture book in Bemba by Ursula Nafula

Inkonde shaba maama is a picture book in Bemba for ages 8–11 by Ursula Nafula that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.

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Language

Bemba

Written by

Ursula Nafula

Illustrated by

Catherine Groenewald

Translated by

Sandra Mulesu

Reading level

ages 8–11 · 3rd to 5th grade · Level 4 · Longer paragraphs

From

Zambia

Source

Global Storybooks

Licence

CC BY 3.0

Price

Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

Inkonde shaba maama is a short illustrated picture book in Bemba by Ursula Nafula, illustrated by Catherine Groenewald and translated by Sandra Mulesu. It is written for ages 8–11 (Grades 3–4) and is graded as Level 4 · Longer paragraphs, so it works as a read-aloud for little ones and as practice for children learning to read in Bemba. 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 18 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).

How it begins

Ibala lyaba maama lyali ilisuma saana, mwali amasaka, amale, na tuute. Nomba ifyawamishe pali fyonse ni nkonde. Nangula bamaama bakwete abeshikulu abengi, nalishibe ukuti nine batemwishishe. Balenjita lyonse ku ŋanda ku mwabo. Baaleenshimikilako no twankama tumo-tumo. Nomba kwali inkama imo…

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. “Inkonde shaba maama” is also available in:

• Afrikaans · Ouma se piesangs
• EkeGusii · Amatoke A’baba
• Jamaican Creole · Granmaa banaana dem
• Kaonde · Makonde aba Nkambo
• Kikamba · Maiũ ma Sũsũ
• Kimaasai · Ilmaisurîn le kokoô
• Kiswahili · Ndizi za bibi
• Lugbarati (official orthography) · Dede vile A’bua ri
• Lukhonzo · Ameeru A’mukaka
• Lumasaaba · Kamarofu ka Kuukhu
• Lunda · Makondi aNkanka
• Luvale · Makonde akhaka
• Mauritian Creole · Banann granmer
• Nyanja · Nthochi za Agogo
• Somali · Mooskii ayeeyo
• Spanish · Los plátanos de mi abuela
• Tonga · Mabbanana Aabaneene
• Tswana · Dipanana tsa ga mmemogolo

Reading together in Bemba

• 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 Bemba

• Ukukandwa
• Anansi na Maano
• Ifyalandile nkashi yakwa Vusi
• Ifyo ngumfwa
• Ibuuku lya pamiceele
• Abaana bepula
• Umuntu umutali saana
• Ubushiku nafumine pa ŋanda ukuya ku kalaale

See all 40 free Bemba books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩‍🏫 Assign this book to a class

Frequently asked questions

Is “Inkonde shaba maama” free to read?

Yes. “Inkonde shaba maama” 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 “Inkonde shaba maama” in?

It is written in Bemba. Pagine has 40 free children’s books in Bemba.

What age is “Inkonde shaba maama” for?

It is best for ages 8–11 (Level 4 · Longer paragraphs). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.

Is “Inkonde shaba maama” available in other languages?

Yes — the same story is in EkeGusii, Kikamba, Kimaasai, Somali, Afrikaans, Tswana and more.

Who wrote “Inkonde shaba maama”?

“Inkonde shaba maama” was written by Ursula Nafula and illustrated by Catherine Groenewald; the Bemba translation is by Sandra Mulesu.

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Credits: Inkonde shaba maama — Written by Ursula Nafula; Illustrated by Catherine Groenewald; Translated by Sandra Mulesu. Bemba, Level 4. From Global Storybooks (storybookszambia.net), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=2094). CC BY 3.0. · Page updated October 2026