PagineKhalais ge haidi ǀkha ra ǃhoa
A free picture book in Khoekhoegowab by Ursula Nafula
Khalais ge haidi ǀkha ra ǃhoa is a picture book in Khoekhoegowab for ages 5–8 by Ursula Nafula that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.
📖 Read it free →- Language
- Khoekhoegowab
- Written by
- Ursula Nafula
- Illustrated by
- Jesse Pietersen
- Translated by
- Ngeve Shangombe
- Reading level
- ages 5–8 · kindergarten to 2nd grade · Level 2 · First sentences
- From
- Namibia
- Source
- Global Storybooks
- Licence
- CC BY 4.0
- Price
- Free — read online, nothing to download
About this book
Khalais ge haidi ǀkha ra ǃhoa is a short illustrated picture book in Khoekhoegowab by Ursula Nafula, illustrated by Jesse Pietersen and translated by Ngeve Shangombe. 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 Khoekhoegowab. 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
Nēs ge a Khalai. ǁÎs ge a hû kurixa. ǁÎs di lons ge “ǁÎs ge a ǃgâi” ti Lubukusub, ǁîs di gowab, ǃnâ ra ǂâibasen. Khalais ge ǁgoagas ra ǂkhai o lemun hais ǀkha ra ǃhoa. “Toxopa lemun hai, ǃgâise…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. “Khalais ge haidi ǀkha ra ǃhoa” 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
- 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
- Tswana · Khalai o bua le dimela
- Venda · Khalai U Amba Na Zwitavhiwa
- Xhosa · Upalesa Uthanda Izityalo
- Zulu · Ukhalai Ukhuluma Nezitshalo
Reading together in Khoekhoegowab
- 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 Khoekhoegowab
Anansib tsî Gā-aisib
Xammi di ǀae haigu
Tsâsigu
ǂOaǀnanumâsib ǂKhanis
ǂNuruǁnui ǀgôan xa
Zamas ge a ǂoaǂamsa
ǁGâusa xu ta ge kaiǃās ǁga ǃgû tsēs
Zambezib ǃāb ǃnâ tsâs xa
See all 40 free Khoekhoegowab books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩🏫 Assign this book to a class
Frequently asked questions
Is “Khalais ge haidi ǀkha ra ǃhoa” free to read?
Yes. “Khalais ge haidi ǀkha ra ǃhoa” 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 “Khalais ge haidi ǀkha ra ǃhoa” in?
It is written in Khoekhoegowab. Pagine has 40 free children’s books in Khoekhoegowab.
What age is “Khalais ge haidi ǀkha ra ǃhoa” for?
It is best for ages 5–8 (Level 2 · First sentences). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.
Is “Khalais ge haidi ǀkha ra ǃhoa” available in other languages?
Yes — the same story is in English, Nigerian Pidgin, Kiswahili, Somali, Zulu, Xhosa and more.
Who wrote “Khalais ge haidi ǀkha ra ǃhoa”?
“Khalais ge haidi ǀkha ra ǃhoa” was written by Ursula Nafula and illustrated by Jesse Pietersen; the Khoekhoegowab translation is by Ngeve Shangombe.
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Get the free app →Credits: Khalais ge haidi ǀkha ra ǃhoa — Written by Ursula Nafula; Illustrated by Jesse Pietersen; Translated by Ngeve Shangombe. Khoekhoegowab, Level 2. From Global Storybooks (storybooksnamibia.net), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=13545). CC BY 4.0. · Page updated October 2026