Kalaay waxay la hadashaa dhirta

A free picture book in Somali by Ursula Nafula

Kalaay waxay la hadashaa dhirta is a picture book in Somali for ages 5–8 by Ursula Nafula that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.

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Language

Somali

Written by

Ursula Nafula

Illustrated by

Jesse Pietersen

Translated by

Abdi Muse

Reading level

ages 5–8 · kindergarten to 2nd grade · Level 2 · First sentences

From

Kenya

Source

Global Storybooks

Licence

CC BY 4.0

Price

Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

Kalaay waxay la hadashaa dhirta is a short illustrated picture book in Somali by Ursula Nafula, illustrated by Jesse Pietersen and translated by Abdi Muse. 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 Somali. The book comes from Global Storybooks and is shared under an open CC BY 4.0 licence, which is why it is free to read. The same story is available in 24 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).

How it begins

Tani waa Kalaay. Waxay jirtaa toddoba sano. Magaceeda macnihiisa waa “midda wanaagsan” luqaddeeda, Lubukusu. Kalaay way soo toostaa waxeyna lahadashaa geedka liinta ah. “Fadlan geedka liinta ahoow, weynoow oo na sii liin badan oo bissil.” Kalaay waxay aadaa dugsiga. Jidka…

Opening lines quoted from the openly licensed book (CC BY 4.0).

This story in other languages

Reading the same story in two languages helps bilingual children connect words they already know. “Kalaay waxay la hadashaa dhirta” is also available in:

• Afrikaans · Khalai praat met plante
• Bemba · Khalai Alasosha Icaani ne Fimuti
• English · Khalai talks to plants
• Jamaican Creole · Kalaahi
• Kaonde · Khalai wisamba na bijimwa
• Khoekhoegowab · Khalais ge haidi ǀkha ra ǃhoa
• Kiswahili · Khalai azungumza na mimea
• Lukhonzo · Khalai akakanaya n’ebirimwa
• Lunda · Khalai wahoshan’ga na zhimbutu
• Luvale · Khalai eji kuhanjika navimbuto
• Mauritian Creole · Khalai koz avek bann plant
• Nigerian Pidgin · Khalai yan with plant
• Nyanja · Khalai alankhula ku Zomela
• Oshikwanyama · Khalai ta popi noimeno
• Oshindonga · Khalai ta popi niimeno
• Otjiherero · Khalai ma hungirisa omiti
• Sesotho · Khalai o bua le dimela
• Spanish · Khalai le habla a las plantas
• Tonga · Khalai Ulabandika Kuzyisyango
• Tsonga · Wavhidi a Vulavula Na Swimilana
• Tswana · Khalai o bua le dimela
• Venda · Khalai U Amba Na Zwitavhiwa
• Xhosa · Upalesa Uthanda Izityalo
• Zulu · Ukhalai Ukhuluma Nezitshalo

Reading together in Somali

• 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 Somali

• Yaxaaskii baahnaa
• Karin
• Tom muus iibiyaha
• Ilmo dameer ah
• Heestii Sakima
• Waxaan jeclahay in aan aqriyo!
• Timo
• Jirkeyga

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

Frequently asked questions

Is “Kalaay waxay la hadashaa dhirta” free to read?

Yes. “Kalaay waxay la hadashaa dhirta” 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 4.0).

What language is “Kalaay waxay la hadashaa dhirta” in?

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

What age is “Kalaay waxay la hadashaa dhirta” for?

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

Is “Kalaay waxay la hadashaa dhirta” available in other languages?

Yes — the same story is in English, Nigerian Pidgin, Kiswahili, Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans and more.

Who wrote “Kalaay waxay la hadashaa dhirta”?

“Kalaay waxay la hadashaa dhirta” was written by Ursula Nafula and illustrated by Jesse Pietersen; the Somali translation is by Abdi Muse.

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Credits: Kalaay waxay la hadashaa dhirta — Written by Ursula Nafula; Illustrated by Jesse Pietersen; Translated by Abdi Muse; Read by Ibrahim Ahmed. Somali, Level 2. From Global Storybooks (global-asp.github.io/storybooks-kenya), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=13545). CC BY 4.0. · Page updated October 2026