Kidayar Dabbobi

Name: Kidayar Dabbobi
Availability: InStock
Author: Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek

A free picture book in Hausa by Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek

Cover of Kidayar Dabbobi, a Hausa picture book

Kidayar Dabbobi is a picture book in Hausa for ages 2–8 by Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.

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Language: Hausa
Written by: Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek
Illustrated by: Rob Owen
Translated by: Sani Masama Garba
Reading level: ages 2–8 · preschool, kindergarten to 2nd grade · Level 1 · First words
From: Nigeria
Source: Global Storybooks
Licence: CC BY 3.0
Price: Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

Kidayar Dabbobi is a short illustrated picture book in Hausa by Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek, illustrated by Rob Owen and translated by Sani Masama Garba. It is written for ages 2–8 (Nursery–Year 1) and is graded as Level 1 · First words, so it works as a read-aloud for little ones and as practice for children learning to read in Hausa. 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 32 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).

How it begins

Wata giwa daya na tafiya wajen shan ruwa Rakumin daji biyu na tafiya wajen shan ruwa Karkandai ukku da tsuntsaye hudu na tafiya shan ruwa Barewa biyar da wasu mugun dawa na tafiya shan ruwa Jakin daji bakwai na gudu…

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. “Kidayar Dabbobi” is also available in:

Reading together in Hausa

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 Hausa

See all 204 free Hausa books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩‍🏫 Assign this book to a class

Frequently asked questions

Is “Kidayar Dabbobi” free to read?

Yes. “Kidayar Dabbobi” 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 “Kidayar Dabbobi” in?

It is written in Hausa. Pagine has 204 free children’s books in Hausa.

What age is “Kidayar Dabbobi” for?

It is best for ages 2–8 (Level 1 · First words). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.

Is “Kidayar Dabbobi” available in other languages?

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

Who wrote “Kidayar Dabbobi”?

“Kidayar Dabbobi” was written by Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek and illustrated by Rob Owen; the Hausa translation is by Sani Masama Garba.

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Credits: Kidayar Dabbobi — Written by Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek; Illustrated by Rob Owen; Translated by Sani Masama Garba. Hausa, Level 1. From Global Storybooks (global-asp.github.io/storybooks-nigeria), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=9671). CC BY 3.0. · Page updated October 2026