Kuma

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

Kuma is a picture book in Acholi 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

Acholi

Written by

Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi

Illustrated by

Mlungisi Dlamini, Ingrid Schechter

Translated by

Maurice Lamony

Reading level

ages 2–8 · preschool, kindergarten to 2nd grade · Level 1 · First words

From

Uganda

Source

Global Storybooks

Licence

CC BY-NC 3.0

Price

Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

Kuma is a short illustrated picture book in Acholi by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi, illustrated by Mlungisi Dlamini, Ingrid Schechter and translated by Maurice Lamony. 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 Acholi. 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 29 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).

How it begins

Atwero ngwec kede. Atwero pye kede. Atwero Myel Kede. Atwero kwang kede. Atwero lenge kede. Atwero gweyo odilo kede. Atwero lwii kede. Ento pe atwero tuk kede ma twal. Kuma — Written by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi; Illustrated…

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. “Kuma” is also available in:

• Afrikaans · My liggaam
• Ateso · AKAKUWAN
• Bemba · Umubili wandi
• Irish · Mo chorp
• Jamaican Creole · Mi badi
• Kaonde · Mubuji Wami
• Khoekhoegowab · Ti Soros
• Kikamba · Mwii wakwa
• Kiswahili · Mwili wangu
• Krio · Mi bodi
• Luganda · Omubiri gwange
• Lukhonzo · Omubiri Waghi
• Lunda · Muzhimba wami
• Lusoga · Omubiri Gwange
• Luvale · Mujimba wami
• Mauritian Creole · Mo lekor
• Nyanja · Thupi Langa
• Oshikwanyama · Olutu lange
• Oshindonga · Olutu lwandje
• Otjiherero · Orutu rwandje
• Sepedi · Mmele waka
• Sesotho · Mmele wa ka
• Somali · Jirkeyga
• Spanish · Mi cuerpo
• Tonga · Mubili Wangu
• Tsonga · Miri wa mina
• Tswana · Mmele wame
• Xhosa · Umzimba wam
• Zulu · Umzimba wami

Reading together in Acholi

• 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.

See all 1 free Acholi books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩‍🏫 Assign this book to a class

Frequently asked questions

Is “Kuma” free to read?

Yes. “Kuma” 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 “Kuma” in?

It is written in Acholi. Pagine has 1 free children’s book in Acholi.

What age is “Kuma” for?

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

Is “Kuma” available in other languages?

Yes — the same story is in Kiswahili, Kikamba, Somali, Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans and more.

Who wrote “Kuma”?

“Kuma” was written by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi and illustrated by Mlungisi Dlamini, Ingrid Schechter; the Acholi translation is by Maurice Lamony.

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Credits: Kuma — Written by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi; Illustrated by Mlungisi Dlamini, Ingrid Schechter; Translated by Maurice Lamony. Acholi, Level 1. From Global Storybooks (global-asp.github.io/storybooks-uganda), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=1790). CC BY-NC 3.0. · Page updated October 2026