Katlholo

A free picture book in Tswana by Adelheid Marie Bwire

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

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Language

Tswana

Written by

Adelheid Marie Bwire

Illustrated by

Melany Pietersen

Translated by

Domitilla Naledi Madi

Reading level

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

From

South Africa, Namibia

Source

Global Storybooks

Licence

CC BY 3.0

Price

Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

Katlholo is a short illustrated picture book in Tswana by Adelheid Marie Bwire, illustrated by Melany Pietersen and translated by Domitilla Naledi Madi. 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 Tswana. 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

Ka letsatsi lengwe, mme a amogela maungo a mantsi. “Re kgona go ja leng maungo ?” ra botsa. “Re tla ja maungo maitsiboa,” go bua mme. Nnake Rahim o bogagapa. O lekile maungo fela otlhe. O jele bontsi jwa ona.…

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. “Katlholo” 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
• Xhosa · Isihlwayo
• Zulu · Umhobholo

Reading together in Tswana

• 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 Tswana

• Dipanana tsa ga mmemogolo
• Fifi le Teddy
• Ditlhako tsa Mogokolodi
• Tshikinya phophotha
• Taugadi e e lapileng thata
• Potsane
• Go busa mowa wa go keteka dikgakologo
• Sindiwe-le-ditshikanokana

See all 103 free Tswana books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩‍🏫 Assign this book to a class

Frequently asked questions

Is “Katlholo” free to read?

Yes. “Katlholo” 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 “Katlholo” in?

It is written in Tswana. Pagine has 103 free children’s books in Tswana.

What age is “Katlholo” for?

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

Is “Katlholo” available in other languages?

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

Who wrote “Katlholo”?

“Katlholo” was written by Adelheid Marie Bwire and illustrated by Melany Pietersen; the Tswana translation is by Domitilla Naledi Madi.

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Credits: Katlholo — Written by Adelheid Marie Bwire; Illustrated by Melany Pietersen; Translated by Domitilla Naledi Madi. Tswana, 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