PagineIsihlwayo
A free picture book in Xhosa by Adelheid Marie Bwire
Isihlwayo is a picture book in Xhosa for ages 5–8 by Adelheid Marie Bwire that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.
📖 Read it free →- Language
- Xhosa
- Written by
- Adelheid Marie Bwire
- Illustrated by
- Melany Pietersen
- Translated by
- Siyasanga Manakele
- Reading level
- ages 5–8 · kindergarten to 2nd grade · Level 2 · First sentences
- From
- South Africa
- Source
- Global Storybooks
- Licence
- CC BY 3.0
- Price
- Free — read online, nothing to download
About this book
Isihlwayo is a short illustrated picture book in Xhosa by Adelheid Marie Bwire, illustrated by Melany Pietersen and translated by Siyasanga Manakele. 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 Xhosa. 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 22 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).
How it begins
Ngenye imini, umama wafumana iziqhamo ezininzi. “Singazifumana nini iziqhamo?” siyabuza. “Siza kusifumana isiqhamo ngobu busuku,” watsho umama. Umntakwethu uRahim uyabawa. Ungcamla zonke iziqhamo. Utya kakhulu. “Jonga into eyenziwa nguRahim!” Kukhwaza umntakwethu omncinci. “URahim akanambeko kwaye ucingela yena yedwa,” nditsho. Umama…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. “Isihlwayo” is also available in:
- Afrikaans · Straf
- Bemba · Ukukandwa
- Jamaican Creole · Ponishment
- Kaonde · Kukambula
- Khoekhoegowab · ǁKharab
- Kiswahili · Adhabu
- Luganda · Ekibonerezo
- Lukhonzo · Ekifubiro
- Lunda · Kubabesha
- Luvale · Kuzangamisa
- Mauritian Creole · Pinision
- Nyanja · Cilango
- Oshikwanyama · Ehandukilo
- Oshindonga · Egeelo
- Otjiherero · Omberero
- Sesotho · Kotlo
- Somali · Ciqaab
- South Ndebele · Isijeziso sakaThemba
- Spanish · Castigo
- Tonga · Cisubulo
- Tswana · Katlholo
- Zulu · Umhobholo
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
Ingoma kaKatiiti
Ingaba ukhona na umntu ofana nam nqwa?
Izihlangu zikaSongololo
Izangqa
Iimvakalelo
Ukupheka
UTom, umthengisi webhanana
A Tiny Seed: The Story of Wangari Maathai
See all 145 free Xhosa books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩🏫 Assign this book to a class
Frequently asked questions
Is “Isihlwayo” free to read?
Yes. “Isihlwayo” 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 “Isihlwayo” in?
It is written in Xhosa. Pagine has 145 free children’s books in Xhosa.
What age is “Isihlwayo” for?
It is best for ages 5–8 (Level 2 · First sentences). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.
Is “Isihlwayo” available in other languages?
Yes — the same story is in Kiswahili, Somali, Zulu, Afrikaans, Tswana, Sesotho and more.
Who wrote “Isihlwayo”?
“Isihlwayo” was written by Adelheid Marie Bwire and illustrated by Melany Pietersen; the Xhosa translation is by Siyasanga Manakele.
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Get the free app →Credits: Isihlwayo — Written by Adelheid Marie Bwire; Illustrated by Melany Pietersen; Translated by Siyasanga Manakele. Xhosa, Level 2. From Global Storybooks (southafricareads.org), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=11989). CC BY 3.0. · Page updated October 2026