Isijeziso sakaThemba

A free picture book in South Ndebele by Adelheid Marie Bwire

Isijeziso sakaThemba is a picture book in South Ndebele for ages 5–8 by Adelheid Marie Bwire that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.

📖 Read it free →

Language

South Ndebele · isiNdebele

Written by

Adelheid Marie Bwire

Illustrated by

Melany Pietersen

Translated by

William Jiyana

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

Isijeziso sakaThemba is a short illustrated picture book in South Ndebele by Adelheid Marie Bwire, illustrated by Melany Pietersen and translated by William Jiyana. 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 South Ndebele. 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

Ahh! Umma uze neenthelo. Mina ngilambile. Umma uzosipha nini iinthelo lezi? Hlam, hlam, hlam! Mnandi! “Ngubani odle iinthelo?” kubuza uSana. “UThemba akakalungi,” kukhuluma uThembi. Umma ukwatile. “Themba, ngubani odle iinthelo?” Mma uThemba udle iinthelo zoke, ibhanana, ipenapula, ipiyere, umengo. Themba…

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. “Isijeziso sakaThemba” 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
• Spanish · Castigo
• Tonga · Cisubulo
• Tswana · Katlholo
• Xhosa · Isihlwayo
• Zulu · Umhobholo

Reading together in South Ndebele

• 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 South Ndebele

• USindiwe neeMagameru
• Sikhamba Ndawonye
• Ibhudango lakaGraca
• Amalanga wokuphumula nogogo
• Isikhukhukazi sakhohlisa ikhozi
• Ilanga lakaSizwe letjhudu
• Utitjhere wami
• Yini okutjhiwo ngudadwabo likaVusi?

See all 69 free South Ndebele books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩‍🏫 Assign this book to a class

Frequently asked questions

Is “Isijeziso sakaThemba” free to read?

Yes. “Isijeziso sakaThemba” 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 “Isijeziso sakaThemba” in?

It is written in South Ndebele (isiNdebele). Pagine has 69 free children’s books in South Ndebele.

What age is “Isijeziso sakaThemba” for?

It is best for ages 5–8 (Level 2 · First sentences). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.

Is “Isijeziso sakaThemba” available in other languages?

Yes — the same story is in Kiswahili, Somali, Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans, Tswana and more.

Who wrote “Isijeziso sakaThemba”?

“Isijeziso sakaThemba” was written by Adelheid Marie Bwire and illustrated by Melany Pietersen; the South Ndebele translation is by William Jiyana.

Track reading with the free Pagine app

Log books, set goals and build a daily reading habit — free on iOS, Android and the web.

Get the free app →

Credits: Isijeziso sakaThemba — Written by Adelheid Marie Bwire; Illustrated by Melany Pietersen; Translated by William Jiyana. isiNdebele, 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