Kuchinda tunyama

Name: Kuchinda tunyama
Availability: InStock
Author: Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek

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

Cover of Kuchinda tunyama, a Lunda picture book

Kuchinda tunyama is a picture book in Lunda 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: Lunda
Written by: Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek
Illustrated by: Rob Owen
Translated by: Oscar Zangata
Reading level: ages 2–8 · preschool, kindergarten to 2nd grade · Level 1 · First words
From: Zambia
Source: Global Storybooks
Licence: CC BY 3.0
Price: Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

Kuchinda tunyama is a short illustrated picture book in Lunda by Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek, illustrated by Rob Owen and translated by Oscar Zangata. 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 Lunda. 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

Mutupa wumu nakuya nakunwa menzhi. Ansefu ayedi anakuya nakunwa menzhi. Angòmbi zhampata asatu na tuda awana newena anakuya nakunwa menzhi. Tupala atanu na yombu atanunawumu anakwenda nakuya ku menzhi. Ing’ala atanunawayedi anakutemukila kukalong’a. Yula atanunawasatu nanshi atanunawawana anakuwela mumenzhi. Mutupa…

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. “Kuchinda tunyama” is also available in:

Reading together in Lunda

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 Lunda

See all 40 free Lunda books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩‍🏫 Assign this book to a class

Frequently asked questions

Is “Kuchinda tunyama” free to read?

Yes. “Kuchinda tunyama” 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 “Kuchinda tunyama” in?

It is written in Lunda. Pagine has 40 free children’s books in Lunda.

What age is “Kuchinda tunyama” for?

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

Is “Kuchinda tunyama” available in other languages?

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

Who wrote “Kuchinda tunyama”?

“Kuchinda tunyama” was written by Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek and illustrated by Rob Owen; the Lunda translation is by Oscar Zangata.

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Credits: Kuchinda tunyama — Written by Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek; Illustrated by Rob Owen; Translated by Oscar Zangata. Lunda, Level 1. From Global Storybooks (storybookszambia.net), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=9671). CC BY 3.0. · Page updated October 2026