Khalai alankhula ku Zomela

A free picture book in Nyanja by Ursula Nafula

Khalai alankhula ku Zomela is a picture book in Nyanja for ages 5–8 by Ursula Nafula that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.

📖 Read it free →

Language

Nyanja

Written by

Ursula Nafula

Illustrated by

Jesse Pietersen

Translated by

David Sani Mwanza

Reading level

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

From

Zambia

Source

Global Storybooks

Licence

CC BY 4.0

Price

Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

Khalai alankhula ku Zomela is a short illustrated picture book in Nyanja by Ursula Nafula, illustrated by Jesse Pietersen and translated by David Sani Mwanza. 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 Nyanja. 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

Uyu ndi Khalai. Ali ndi zaka zisanu ndi ziwili. Dzina lake litanthauza kuti “wabwino” mucilankhulo cake, Lubukusu. Khalai amauka ndiku lankhula ku mtengo wa malalanje. “Conde mtengo wamalalanje, kula msinkhu ndipo utipatse malalanje ambili akupsya.” Khali apita ku sukulu. Pa…

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. “Khalai alankhula ku Zomela” 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
• Oshikwanyama · Khalai ta popi noimeno
• Oshindonga · Khalai ta popi niimeno
• Otjiherero · Khalai ma hungirisa omiti
• Sesotho · Khalai o bua le dimela
• Somali · Kalaay waxay la hadashaa dhirta
• 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 Nyanja

• 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 Nyanja

• Kuwelenga Kabici
• Njinga ya Kanji
• Mwamene Kanyelele Kanapulumusila Nkunda
• Siku La Mwayi La Hamisi
• Lara kupe wachikasu
• Londi: Mtsikana wokonda kulota
• Osati Tsopano, Osati Tsopano!
• Zovala Zanga Zakusukulu

See all 105 free Nyanja books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩‍🏫 Assign this book to a class

Frequently asked questions

Is “Khalai alankhula ku Zomela” free to read?

Yes. “Khalai alankhula ku Zomela” 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 “Khalai alankhula ku Zomela” in?

It is written in Nyanja. Pagine has 105 free children’s books in Nyanja.

What age is “Khalai alankhula ku Zomela” for?

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

Is “Khalai alankhula ku Zomela” available in other languages?

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

Who wrote “Khalai alankhula ku Zomela”?

“Khalai alankhula ku Zomela” was written by Ursula Nafula and illustrated by Jesse Pietersen; the Nyanja translation is by David Sani Mwanza.

Track reading with the free Pagine app

Log books, set goals and build a daily reading habit — free on iOS, Android and the web.

Get the free app →

Credits: Khalai alankhula ku Zomela — Written by Ursula Nafula; Illustrated by Jesse Pietersen; Translated by David Sani Mwanza; Read by Christine Mwanza. Nyanja, Level 2. From Global Storybooks (storybookszambia.net), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=13545). CC BY 4.0. · Page updated October 2026