Kinders van was

Name: Kinders van was
Availability: InStock
Author: Southern African Folktale

A free picture book in Afrikaans by Southern African Folktale

Cover of Kinders van was, a Afrikaans picture book

Kinders van was is a picture book in Afrikaans for ages 5–8 by Southern African Folktale that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.

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Language: Afrikaans
Written by: Southern African Folktale
Illustrated by: Wiehan de Jager
Translated by: Suzette Hallatt, Helena Vilonel
Reading level: ages 5–8 · kindergarten to 2nd grade · Level 2 · First sentences
From: South Africa, Namibia
Source: Global Storybooks
Licence: CC BY 3.0
Price: Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

Kinders van was is a short illustrated picture book in Afrikaans by Southern African Folktale, illustrated by Wiehan de Jager and translated by Suzette Hallatt, Helena Vilonel. 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 Afrikaans. 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 30 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).

How it begins

Lank, lank gelede was daar ‘n gelukkige gesin. Hulle het nooit met mekaar baklei nie. Hulle het hulle ouers by die huis en op die landerye gehelp. Maar, hulle was nie toegelaat om naby ‘n vuur te kom nie. Hulle…

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. “Kinders van was” is also available in:

Reading together in Afrikaans

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 Afrikaans

See all 143 free Afrikaans books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩‍🏫 Assign this book to a class

Frequently asked questions

Is “Kinders van was” free to read?

Yes. “Kinders van was” 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 “Kinders van was” in?

It is written in Afrikaans. Pagine has 143 free children’s books in Afrikaans.

What age is “Kinders van was” for?

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

Is “Kinders van was” available in other languages?

Yes — the same story is in English, Kiswahili, EkeGusii, Kikamba, Kimaasai, Turkana and more.

Who wrote “Kinders van was”?

“Kinders van was” was written by Southern African Folktale and illustrated by Wiehan de Jager; the Afrikaans translation is by Suzette Hallatt, Helena Vilonel.

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Credits: Kinders van was — Written by Southern African Folktale; Illustrated by Wiehan de Jager; Translated by Suzette Hallatt, Helena Vilonel; Read by Willemien Wannberg. Afrikaans, Level 2. From Global Storybooks (southafricareads.org), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=2181). CC BY 3.0. · Page updated October 2026