Kangatwe kami ali kulihi?

Name: Kangatwe kami ali kulihi?
Availability: InStock
Author: Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi

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

Cover of Kangatwe kami ali kulihi?, a Luvale picture book

Kangatwe kami ali kulihi? is a picture book in Luvale for ages 2–8 by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.

📖 Read it free →

Language: Luvale
Written by: Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi
Illustrated by: Bronwen Heath, Ingrid Schechter
Translated by: Masho Kaloza
Reading level: ages 2–8 · preschool, kindergarten to 2nd grade · Level 1 · First words
From: Zambia
Source: Global Storybooks
Licence: CC BY-NC 3.0
Price: Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

Kangatwe kami ali kulihi? is a short illustrated picture book in Luvale by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi, illustrated by Bronwen Heath, Ingrid Schechter and translated by Masho Kaloza. 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 Luvale. 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

Ali mwishi yakahela tahi? Ali helu lyachisweko tahi? Ali kunyima yachitwamo tahi? Ali kwakamwihi nakwakumbilila swali tahi? Ali mukachi kachizuma tahi? Ali haweluka wazuvo tahi? Ou ali kuno! Kangatwe kami ali kulihi? — Written by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele…

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. “Kangatwe kami ali kulihi?” is also available in:

Reading together in Luvale

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 Luvale

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

Frequently asked questions

Is “Kangatwe kami ali kulihi?” free to read?

Yes. “Kangatwe kami ali kulihi?” 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 “Kangatwe kami ali kulihi?” in?

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

What age is “Kangatwe kami ali kulihi?” for?

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

Is “Kangatwe kami ali kulihi?” available in other languages?

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

Who wrote “Kangatwe kami ali kulihi?”?

“Kangatwe kami ali kulihi?” was written by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi and illustrated by Bronwen Heath, Ingrid Schechter; the Luvale translation is by Masho Kaloza.

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Credits: Kangatwe kami ali kulihi? — Written by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi; Illustrated by Bronwen Heath, Ingrid Schechter; Translated by Masho Kaloza. Luvale, Level 1. From Global Storybooks (storybookszambia.net), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=1825). CC BY-NC 3.0. · Page updated October 2026