Koko le Matsianye

A free picture book in Tswana by Ann Nduku

Koko le Matsianye is a picture book in Tswana for ages 5–11 by Ann Nduku that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.

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Language

Tswana

Written by

Ann Nduku

Illustrated by

Wiehan de Jager

Translated by

Antonia Madi

Reading level

ages 5–11 · kindergarten to 2nd grade, 3rd to 5th grade · Level 3 · First paragraphs

From

South Africa, Namibia

Source

Global Storybooks

Licence

CC BY 3.0

Price

Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

Koko le Matsianye is a short illustrated picture book in Tswana by Ann Nduku, illustrated by Wiehan de Jager and translated by Antonia Madi. It is written for ages 5–11 (Grades 2–3) and is graded as Level 3 · First paragraphs, 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 3.0 licence, which is why it is free to read. The same story is available in 27 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).

How it begins

Bogologolo tala, Koko le Matsianye ba ne ba le ditsala.Ba agile ka kagiso mmogo le dinonyane tse dingwe.Go ne go se na epe e e ne e kgona go fofa. Letsatsi lengwe, go ne go na le tlala mo lefatsheng.Matsianye…

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. “Koko le Matsianye” is also available in:

• Afrikaans · Hen en Arend
• Aringati · Áũ kí Yúkú be
• Bemba · Inkoko na Pungwa
• EkeGusii · Engoko Ne’Kebaki
• English · Hen and Eagle
• Jamaican Creole · En an Iigl
• Kakwa · Sukuri seku Yugu
• Kaonde · Kyaje ne Mpungu
• Khoekhoegowab · Anis tsî ǃAriǃkhās hâra xa
• Kiswahili · Kuku na Tai
• Luganda · Wankoko ne Wakamunye
• Lugbarati (official orthography) · A’ú pi yúkú be
• Lukhonzo · wa’Ngoko oko na W’Isamba
• Lumasaaba · Ingokho ni Ikhosi
• Lunda · Kasumbi na Kambembi
• Lunyole · Engoho ni Haŋungu
• Luvale · Kasumbi na Chiselele
• Mauritian Creole · Poul ek Leg
• Nyanja · Nkhuku ndi Nkhwazi
• Oshikwanyama · Oxuxwa nonhwa
• Oshindonga · Ondjuhwa nOntsa
• Otjiherero · Ohunguriva norukoze
• Rutooro · Enkoko N’Ekihungu
• Somali · Digaagad iyo Galayr
• Spanish · La Gallina y el Águila
• Tonga · Nkuku a Musyika
• Xhosa · USikhukhukazi noKhozi

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

• Go na le molelo mo Thabeng
• Lara khukhwane e e serolwana
• Bopelokgale Jo Bogolo jwa ga Talanyane
• Letsatsi le le Ntle
• Pula, Pula Naa
• Mpho ya ga Mogau
• Yapo O Re Direla Letsatsi
• Go bala diphologolo

See all 103 free Tswana books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩‍🏫 Assign this book to a class

Frequently asked questions

Is “Koko le Matsianye” free to read?

Yes. “Koko le Matsianye” 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 “Koko le Matsianye” in?

It is written in Tswana. Pagine has 103 free children’s books in Tswana.

What age is “Koko le Matsianye” for?

It is best for ages 5–11 (Level 3 · First paragraphs). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.

Is “Koko le Matsianye” available in other languages?

Yes — the same story is in English, Kiswahili, EkeGusii, Somali, Xhosa, Afrikaans and more.

Who wrote “Koko le Matsianye”?

“Koko le Matsianye” was written by Ann Nduku and illustrated by Wiehan de Jager; the Tswana translation is by Antonia Madi.

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Credits: Koko le Matsianye — Written by Ann Nduku; Illustrated by Wiehan de Jager; Translated by Antonia Madi. Tswana, Level 3. From Global Storybooks (southafricareads.org), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=2084). CC BY 3.0. · Page updated October 2026