Iphi ikati yam?

Name: Iphi ikati yam?
Availability: InStock
Author: Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi

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

Cover of Iphi ikati yam?, a Xhosa picture book

Iphi ikati yam? 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: Lunathi Ntunzi
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

Iphi ikati yam? is a short illustrated picture book in Xhosa by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi, illustrated by Bronwen Heath, Ingrid Schechter and translated by Lunathi Ntunzi. 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 29 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).

How it begins

Ingaba iphantsi kwebhedi? Ingaba iphezu kwekhabhathi? Ingaba ingaphaya kwesofa? Ingaba isecaleni komgqomo? Ingaba iphakathi kwengobosi? Ingaba iphaya phandle? Nantsi ndiyifumene! Iphi ikati yam? — Written by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi; Illustrated by Bronwen Heath, Ingrid Schechter; 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. “Iphi ikati yam?” 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 “Iphi ikati yam?” free to read?

Yes. “Iphi ikati yam?” 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 “Iphi ikati yam?” in?

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

What age is “Iphi ikati yam?” for?

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

Is “Iphi ikati yam?” available in other languages?

Yes — the same story is in English, Kiswahili, Turkana, Somali, Afrikaans, Sepedi and more.

Who wrote “Iphi ikati yam?”?

“Iphi ikati yam?” was written by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi and illustrated by Bronwen Heath, Ingrid Schechter; the Xhosa translation is by Lunathi Ntunzi.

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Credits: Iphi ikati yam? — Written by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi; Illustrated by Bronwen Heath, Ingrid Schechter; Translated by Lunathi Ntunzi. Xhosa, Level 1. From Global Storybooks (southafricareads.org), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=1825). CC BY-NC 3.0. · Page updated October 2026