Khalai o bua le dimela

Name: Khalai o bua le dimela
Availability: InStock
Author: Ursula Nafula

A free picture book in Sesotho by Ursula Nafula

Cover of Khalai o bua le dimela, a Sesotho picture book

Khalai o bua le dimela is a picture book in Sesotho for ages 5–8 by Ursula Nafula that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.

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Language: Sesotho
Written by: Ursula Nafula
Illustrated by: Jesse Pietersen
Translated by: Maria Vaz
Reading level: ages 5–8 · kindergarten to 2nd grade · Level 2 · First sentences
From: South Africa
Source: Global Storybooks
Licence: CC BY 4.0
Price: Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

Khalai o bua le dimela is a short illustrated picture book in Sesotho by Ursula Nafula, illustrated by Jesse Pietersen and translated by Maria Vaz. 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 Sesotho. 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

Enwa ke Khalai. O na le dilemo tse supa. Lebitso la hae le bolela ‘ya lokileng’ ka puo ya habo ya Lubusuku. Khalai o a tsoha a bue le sefate sa dilamunu. ” Sefate sa dilamunu ke kopa o hole…

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 o bua le dimela” is also available in:

Reading together in Sesotho

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 Sesotho

See all 125 free Sesotho books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩‍🏫 Assign this book to a class

Frequently asked questions

Is “Khalai o bua le dimela” free to read?

Yes. “Khalai o bua le dimela” 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 o bua le dimela” in?

It is written in Sesotho. Pagine has 125 free children’s books in Sesotho.

What age is “Khalai o bua le dimela” for?

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

Is “Khalai o bua le dimela” available in other languages?

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

Who wrote “Khalai o bua le dimela”?

“Khalai o bua le dimela” was written by Ursula Nafula and illustrated by Jesse Pietersen; the Sesotho translation is by Maria Vaz.

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Credits: Khalai o bua le dimela — Written by Ursula Nafula; Illustrated by Jesse Pietersen; Translated by Maria Vaz. Sesotho, Level 2. From Global Storybooks (southafricareads.org), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=13545). CC BY 4.0. · Page updated October 2026