Ke rata go buisa!

Name: Ke rata go buisa!
Availability: InStock
Author: Letta Machoga

A free picture book in Tswana by Letta Machoga

Cover of Ke rata go buisa!, a Tswana picture book

Ke rata go buisa! is a picture book in Tswana for ages 2–8 by Letta Machoga that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.

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Language: Tswana
Written by: Letta Machoga
Illustrated by: Wiehan de Jager
Translated by: Antonia Madi
Reading level: ages 2–8 · preschool, kindergarten to 2nd grade · Level 1 · First words
From: South Africa, Namibia
Source: Global Storybooks
Licence: CC BY 3.0
Price: Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

Ke rata go buisa! is a short illustrated picture book in Tswana by Letta Machoga, illustrated by Wiehan de Jager and translated by Antonia Madi. 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 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 35 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).

How it begins

Ke rata go buisa. Ke tla buisetsa mang? Kgantsadiake o robetse. Ke tla buisetsa mang? Mma le mmemogolo ba tshwaregile. Ke tla buisetsa mang? Rre le rremogolo ba tshwaregile. Ke tla buisetsa mang?Ke tla ipuisetsa! Ke rata go buisa! —…

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. “Ke rata go buisa!” is also available in:

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

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

Frequently asked questions

Is “Ke rata go buisa!” free to read?

Yes. “Ke rata go buisa!” 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 “Ke rata go buisa!” in?

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

What age is “Ke rata go buisa!” for?

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

Is “Ke rata go buisa!” available in other languages?

Yes — the same story is in Hausa, Somali, Zulu, Xhosa, Tsonga, Venda and more.

Who wrote “Ke rata go buisa!”?

“Ke rata go buisa!” was written by Letta Machoga and illustrated by Wiehan de Jager; the Tswana translation is by Antonia Madi.

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Credits: Ke rata go buisa! — Written by Letta Machoga; Illustrated by Wiehan de Jager; Translated by Antonia Madi. Tswana, Level 1. From Global Storybooks (southafricareads.org), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=10547). CC BY 3.0. · Page updated October 2026