PagineKwena e lapileng
A free picture book in Sesotho by Christian G
Kwena e lapileng is a picture book in Sesotho for ages 2–8 by Christian G that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.
📖 Read it free →- Language
- Sesotho
- Written by
- Christian G
- Illustrated by
- Wiehan de Jager
- Translated by
- Maria Vaz
- Reading level
- ages 2–8 · preschool, kindergarten to 2nd grade · Level 1 · First words
- From
- South Africa
- Source
- Global Storybooks
- Licence
- CC BY 3.0
- Price
- Free — read online, nothing to download
About this book
Kwena e lapileng is a short illustrated picture book in Sesotho by Christian G, illustrated by Wiehan de Jager and translated by Maria Vaz. 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 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 26 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).
How it begins
Kgale ho ne ho na le kwena e neng e lapile haholo. Ya batla dijo butle ka setu. Yaba… Qhau!!! Kwena ya otla. Yaba kamora moo ha e sa lapile, mme e thabile. Ho fihlela e lapa hape. Kwena e…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. “Kwena e lapileng” is also available in:
- Afrikaans · Die honger krokodil
- Bemba · Iŋwena iyansala
- Dagbani · Kum Ni Mali Nyɛbiga So
- English · The hungry crocodile
- Irish · An cogall ocrach
- Jamaican Creole · Di Onggri Krokodail
- Kaonde · Kiwele Waumvwine Nzala
- Khoekhoegowab · ǃÂsa ǁnâseb xa
- Kiswahili · Mamba mwenye njaa
- Luganda · Ggonya omuyala.
- Lukhonzo · Engonya y’amakwa Enzalha
- Lunda · In’gandu wanzala
- Luvale · Ngandu Wazala
- Mauritian Creole · Enn krokodil afame
- Nyanja · Ng’wena yanjala
- Oshikwanyama · Ongadu ya fya ondjla
- Oshindonga · Ongandu ya sa ondjala
- Otjiherero · Ongandu yondjara
- Sepedi · Kwena ya go swarwa ke tlala
- Somali · Yaxaaskii baahnaa
- Spanish · El cocodrilo hambriento
- Tonga · Ciwena Wanzala
- Tswana · Kwena e e ne e tshwerwe ke tlala
- Turkana · Akinyang Na Anyamit Akoro
- Xhosa · Ingwenya elambileyo
- Zulu · Ingwenya elambile
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
Ke Tla o thusa
Kgauta ya Ntatemoholo
Katse le Ntja ba a taka ba tlotsa ka mebala
Neo le lempetje
Dikatse tsa Selemeng
Mosuwetsana Akinyi
Diaparo tsa ka tsa sekolo
Mollo
See all 125 free Sesotho books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩🏫 Assign this book to a class
Frequently asked questions
Is “Kwena e lapileng” free to read?
Yes. “Kwena e lapileng” 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 “Kwena e lapileng” in?
It is written in Sesotho. Pagine has 125 free children’s books in Sesotho.
What age is “Kwena e lapileng” for?
It is best for ages 2–8 (Level 1 · First words). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.
Is “Kwena e lapileng” available in other languages?
Yes — the same story is in English, Kiswahili, Turkana, Somali, Zulu, Xhosa and more.
Who wrote “Kwena e lapileng”?
“Kwena e lapileng” was written by Christian G and illustrated by Wiehan de Jager; the Sesotho translation is by Maria Vaz.
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Get the free app →Credits: Kwena e lapileng — Written by Christian G.; Illustrated by Wiehan de Jager; Translated by Maria Vaz. Sesotho, Level 1. From Global Storybooks (southafricareads.org), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=7043). CC BY 3.0. · Page updated October 2026