PagineJakkals en die son
A free picture book in Afrikaans by Traditional San story
Jakkals en die son is a picture book in Afrikaans for ages 5–11 by Traditional San story that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.
📖 Read it free →- Language
- Afrikaans
- Written by
- Traditional San story
- Illustrated by
- Manyeka Arts Trust
- Translated by
- Johanne
- Reading level
- ages 5–11 · kindergarten to 2nd grade, 3rd to 5th grade · Level 3 · First paragraphs
- From
- Namibia, South Africa
- Source
- Global Storybooks
- Licence
- CC BY 3.0
- Price
- Free — read online, nothing to download
About this book
Jakkals en die son is a short illustrated picture book in Afrikaans by Traditional San story, illustrated by Manyeka Arts Trust and translated by Johanne. It is written for ages 5–11 (Grades 2–3) and is graded as Level 3 · First paragraphs, so it works as a read-aloud for little ones and as practice for children learning to read in Afrikaans. 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 3 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).
How it begins
Lank gelede was daar ‘n dwase, lui jakkals. Hy het saam met sy ou vader in die Kalahari bos gewoon. Een oggend word Ou Jakkals wakker en vind sy seun aan die slaap in die son. Die kos was nog…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. “Jakkals en die son” is also available in:
Reading together in Afrikaans
- 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.
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See all 143 free Afrikaans books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩🏫 Assign this book to a class
Frequently asked questions
Is “Jakkals en die son” free to read?
Yes. “Jakkals en die son” 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 “Jakkals en die son” in?
It is written in Afrikaans. Pagine has 143 free children’s books in Afrikaans.
What age is “Jakkals en die son” for?
It is best for ages 5–11 (Level 3 · First paragraphs). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.
Is “Jakkals en die son” available in other languages?
Yes — the same story is in Oshindonga, Oshikwanyama, Khoekhoegowab.
Who wrote “Jakkals en die son”?
“Jakkals en die son” was written by Traditional San story and illustrated by Manyeka Arts Trust; the Afrikaans translation is by Johanne.
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Get the free app →Credits: Jakkals en die son — Written by Traditional San story; Illustrated by Manyeka Arts Trust; Translated by Johanne; Read by Helena Vilonel. Afrikaans, Level 3. From Global Storybooks (storybooksnamibia.net), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=31270). CC BY 3.0. · Page updated October 2026