PagineǁKharab
A free picture book in Khoekhoegowab by Adelheid Marie Bwire
ǁKharab is a picture book in Khoekhoegowab for ages 5–8 by Adelheid Marie Bwire that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.
📖 Read it free →- Language
- Khoekhoegowab
- Written by
- Adelheid Marie Bwire
- Illustrated by
- Melany 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 3.0
- Price
- Free — read online, nothing to download
About this book
ǁKharab is a short illustrated picture book in Khoekhoegowab by Adelheid Marie Bwire, illustrated by Melany 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 3.0 licence, which is why it is free to read. The same story is available in 22 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).
How it begins
ǀGuitsēs ge mamasa ǂgui haiǂûna ge ǀkhī-ū. “Mâǁae da haiǂûna nî ǂû?” ti da ge ge dî. “Nē ǃoe da ge haiǂûna nî ǂû,” tis ge mamasa ge mî. Ti ǃgâsab Rahimmi ge kaise a ǂûna. ǁÎb ge mâ haiǂû-i…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. “ǁKharab” is also available in:
- Afrikaans · Straf
- Bemba · Ukukandwa
- Jamaican Creole · Ponishment
- Kaonde · Kukambula
- Kiswahili · Adhabu
- Luganda · Ekibonerezo
- Lukhonzo · Ekifubiro
- Lunda · Kubabesha
- Luvale · Kuzangamisa
- Mauritian Creole · Pinision
- Nyanja · Cilango
- Oshikwanyama · Ehandukilo
- Oshindonga · Egeelo
- Otjiherero · Omberero
- Sesotho · Kotlo
- Somali · Ciqaab
- South Ndebele · Isijeziso sakaThemba
- Spanish · Castigo
- Tonga · Cisubulo
- Tswana · Katlholo
- Xhosa · Isihlwayo
- Zulu · Umhobholo
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
Gaxu aob
Anis tsî ǃAriǃkhās hâra xa
ǂNam ra aob
ǃÂsa ǁnâseb xa
ǂÛdīs
Tommi banana ǁamaxū-aob
ǀGirib tsî sores
Nozibeles tsî ǃnona ǀûgu xa
See all 40 free Khoekhoegowab books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩🏫 Assign this book to a class
Frequently asked questions
Is “ǁKharab” free to read?
Yes. “ǁKharab” 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 “ǁKharab” in?
It is written in Khoekhoegowab. Pagine has 40 free children’s books in Khoekhoegowab.
What age is “ǁKharab” for?
It is best for ages 5–8 (Level 2 · First sentences). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.
Is “ǁKharab” available in other languages?
Yes — the same story is in Kiswahili, Somali, Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans, Tswana and more.
Who wrote “ǁKharab”?
“ǁKharab” was written by Adelheid Marie Bwire and illustrated by Melany Pietersen; the Khoekhoegowab translation is by Ngeve Shangombe.
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Get the free app →Credits: ǁKharab — Written by Adelheid Marie Bwire; Illustrated by Melany Pietersen; Translated by Ngeve Shangombe. Khoekhoegowab, Level 2. From Global Storybooks (storybooksnamibia.net), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=11989). CC BY 3.0. · Page updated October 2026