PagineKotlo
A free picture book in Sesotho by Adelheid Marie Bwire
Kotlo is a picture book in Sesotho for ages 5–8 by Adelheid Marie Bwire that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.
📖 Read it free →- Language
- Sesotho
- Written by
- Adelheid Marie Bwire
- Illustrated by
- Melany Pietersen
- Translated by
- Maria Vaz
- Reading level
- ages 5–8 · kindergarten to 2nd grade · Level 2 · First sentences
- From
- South Africa
- Source
- Global Storybooks
- Licence
- CC BY 3.0
- Price
- Free — read online, nothing to download
About this book
Kotlo is a short illustrated picture book in Sesotho by Adelheid Marie Bwire, illustrated by Melany Pietersen and translated by Maria Vaz. 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 Sesotho. 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
Ka tsatsi le leng, mme o ne a tlile le ditholwana tse ngata. “Ebe re tla ja ditholwana neng?”Ra mmotsa. “Re tla di ja bosiung bona,” mme a araba. Moena ka Rahimi o meharo. O latswa ditholwana tsohle, mme o…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. “Kotlo” is also available in:
- Afrikaans · Straf
- Bemba · Ukukandwa
- Jamaican Creole · Ponishment
- Kaonde · Kukambula
- Khoekhoegowab · ǁKharab
- Kiswahili · Adhabu
- Luganda · Ekibonerezo
- Lukhonzo · Ekifubiro
- Lunda · Kubabesha
- Luvale · Kuzangamisa
- Mauritian Creole · Pinision
- Nyanja · Cilango
- Oshikwanyama · Ehandukilo
- Oshindonga · Egeelo
- Otjiherero · Omberero
- Somali · Ciqaab
- South Ndebele · Isijeziso sakaThemba
- Spanish · Castigo
- Tonga · Cisubulo
- Tswana · Katlholo
- Xhosa · Isihlwayo
- Zulu · Umhobholo
Reading together in Sesotho
- 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 Sesotho
Tauhadi e kgathetseng haholo
Mpho ya Mogau
Ho tlamehile ho be le mookodi
Setaelesa Rafiki
Na ho na le motho ya tshwanang le nna?
Hau-Hau!
Morena Kadi le moradi wa hae
Matsatsi a phomolo le nkgono
See all 125 free Sesotho books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩🏫 Assign this book to a class
Frequently asked questions
Is “Kotlo” free to read?
Yes. “Kotlo” 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 “Kotlo” in?
It is written in Sesotho. Pagine has 125 free children’s books in Sesotho.
What age is “Kotlo” for?
It is best for ages 5–8 (Level 2 · First sentences). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.
Is “Kotlo” available in other languages?
Yes — the same story is in Kiswahili, Somali, Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans, Tswana and more.
Who wrote “Kotlo”?
“Kotlo” was written by Adelheid Marie Bwire and illustrated by Melany Pietersen; the Sesotho translation is by Maria Vaz.
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Get the free app →Credits: Kotlo — Written by Adelheid Marie Bwire; Illustrated by Melany Pietersen; Translated by Maria Vaz. Sesotho, Level 2. From Global Storybooks (southafricareads.org), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=11989). CC BY 3.0. · Page updated October 2026