Kook

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

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

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Language: Afrikaans
Written by: Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi
Illustrated by: Kathy Arbuckle, Ingrid Schechter
Translated by: Eurika Jansen van Vuuren, Helena Vilonel
Reading level: ages 2–8 · preschool, kindergarten to 2nd grade · Level 1 · First words
From: South Africa, Namibia
Source: Global Storybooks
Licence: CC BY-NC 3.0
Price: Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

Kook is a short illustrated picture book in Afrikaans by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi, illustrated by Kathy Arbuckle, Ingrid Schechter and translated by Eurika Jansen van Vuuren, Helena Vilonel. 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 Afrikaans. The book comes from Global Storybooks and is shared under an open CC BY-NC 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

Ek skil die aartappels. Ek kerf ‘n koolkop. Ek rasper die wortels. Ek was die boontjies. Ek sny die botterskorsie op. Ek kerf die spinasie. My ma kap die uie fyn. Gekapte uie laat my huil. Kook — Written by…

Opening lines quoted from the openly licensed book (CC BY-NC 3.0).

This story in other languages

Reading the same story in two languages helps bilingual children connect words they already know. “Kook” 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 “Kook” free to read?

Yes. “Kook” 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-NC 3.0).

What language is “Kook” in?

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

What age is “Kook” for?

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

Is “Kook” available in other languages?

Yes — the same story is in English, Kiswahili, Somali, Zulu, Xhosa, Tswana and more.

Who wrote “Kook”?

“Kook” was written by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi and illustrated by Kathy Arbuckle, Ingrid Schechter; the Afrikaans translation is by Eurika Jansen van Vuuren, Helena Vilonel.

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Credits: Kook — Written by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi; Illustrated by Kathy Arbuckle, Ingrid Schechter; Translated by Eurika Jansen van Vuuren, Helena Vilonel; Read by Willemien Wannberg. Afrikaans, Level 1. From Global Storybooks (southafricareads.org), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=2795). CC BY-NC 3.0. · Page updated October 2026