Kuwelengela Nyama

Name: Kuwelengela Nyama
Availability: InStock
Author: Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek

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

Cover of Kuwelengela Nyama, a Nyanja picture book

Kuwelengela Nyama is a picture book in Nyanja 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: Nyanja
Written by: Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek
Translated by: David Sani Mwanza
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

Kuwelengela Nyama is a short illustrated picture book in Nyanja by Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek and translated by David Sani Mwanza. 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 Nyanja. 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

Njovu imozi ipita kukamwa madzi. Anyamalikiti awili apita kukamwa madzi. Njati zitatu ndi mbalame zinai nazonso zipita kukamwa madzi. Mphala zisanu ndi nguluwe zisanu ndi imozi zipita kumadzi. Mbizi zisanu ndi ziwili zithamangila kumadzi. Acule asanu ndi atatu kudzanso nsomba…

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. “Kuwelengela Nyama” is also available in:

Reading together in Nyanja

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 Nyanja

See all 105 free Nyanja books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩‍🏫 Assign this book to a class

Frequently asked questions

Is “Kuwelengela Nyama” free to read?

Yes. “Kuwelengela Nyama” 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 “Kuwelengela Nyama” in?

It is written in Nyanja. Pagine has 105 free children’s books in Nyanja.

What age is “Kuwelengela Nyama” for?

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

Is “Kuwelengela Nyama” available in other languages?

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

Who wrote “Kuwelengela Nyama”?

“Kuwelengela Nyama” was written by Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek; the Nyanja translation is by David Sani Mwanza.

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Credits: Kuwelengela Nyama — Written by Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek; Translated by David Sani Mwanza; Read by Christine Mwanza. Nyanja, 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