Khalai o bua le dimela

A free picture book in Tswana by Ursula Nafula

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

📖 Read it free →

Language

Tswana

Written by

Ursula Nafula

Illustrated by

Jesse 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 4.0

Price

Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

Khalai o bua le dimela is a short illustrated picture book in Tswana by Ursula Nafula, illustrated by Jesse 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 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

Yo ke Khalai. O ngwaga tse supa. Leina la gagwe le emetse’ yo o siameng’ka puo ya gagwe, Lubukusu. Khalai o tsoga mo mosong a bua le setlhare sa dilamune. “Tsweetswee setlhare sa dilamune, gola o nne motonna o re…

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:

• 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
• Nyanja · Khalai alankhula ku Zomela
• 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
• Venda · Khalai U Amba Na Zwitavhiwa
• Xhosa · Upalesa Uthanda Izityalo
• Zulu · Ukhalai Ukhuluma Nezitshalo

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

• Lebelela, Luthando!
• Peo e nnye
• Goreng go na le mosima mo leboteng?
• Tlhapi e e neng e sa kgone go thumaTlhapi e e neng e sa kgone go thuma
• Moletlo wa Tee wa ga Tlotlego
• Lulu o kae?
• Koko e e fofang!
• Go tswa go Boi

See all 103 free Tswana 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 Tswana. Pagine has 103 free children’s books in Tswana.

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 Tswana translation is by Domitilla Naledi Madi.

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 o bua le dimela — Written by Ursula Nafula; Illustrated by Jesse 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=13545). CC BY 4.0. · Page updated October 2026