PagineLabo
A free picture book in Somali by Carole Bloch
Labo is a picture book in Somali for ages 2–8 by Carole Bloch that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.
📖 Read it free →- Language
- Somali
- Written by
- Carole Bloch
- Illustrated by
- Richard MacIntosh
- Translated by
- Abdi Muse
- Reading level
- ages 2–8 · preschool, kindergarten to 2nd grade · Level 1 · First words
- From
- Kenya
- Source
- Global Storybooks
- Licence
- CC BY-NC 3.0
- Price
- Free — read online, nothing to download
About this book
Labo is a short illustrated picture book in Somali by Carole Bloch, illustrated by Richard MacIntosh and translated by Abdi Muse. 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 Somali. 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 26 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).
How it begins
Labo gacmood oo yar yar oo lagu hayo. Labo cagood oo yar yar oo lagu darbeeyo. Labo indhood oo yar yar oo lagu arko. Labo dhagood oo yar yar oo lagu maqlo Iyo labo gacmood oo jacayl oo lagu habsiiyo!…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. “Labo” is also available in:
- Afrikaans · Twee
- Bemba · Tubili
- Dagbani · ayi
- English · Two
- Jamaican Creole · Tuu
- Kaonde · Tubiji
- Khoekhoegowab · ǀGam
- Kigogo · Nyejete
- Kikuyu · Igĩrĩ
- Kiswahili · Mbili
- Krio · Tu
- Lukhonzo · Ibiri
- Lunda · Ayedi
- Luvale · Avali
- Mauritian Creole · De
- Nyanja · Awili
- Oshikwanyama · Mbali
- Oshindonga · Mbali
- Otjiherero · Uvari
- Sepedi · Pedi
- Sesotho · Pedi
- Spanish · Dos
- Tonga · Tobilo
- Tswana · Pedi
- Turkana · Ng’arei
- Zulu · Ezimbili
Reading together in Somali
- 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 Somali
Karin
Tom muus iibiyaha
Ri, Eey iyo Sac
Nozibele iyo saddexdii timo
Magozwe
Dharka iskuulka
Jirkeyga
Kalaay waxay la hadashaa dhirta
See all 40 free Somali books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩🏫 Assign this book to a class
Frequently asked questions
Is “Labo” free to read?
Yes. “Labo” 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 “Labo” in?
It is written in Somali. Pagine has 40 free children’s books in Somali.
What age is “Labo” for?
It is best for ages 2–8 (Level 1 · First words). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.
Is “Labo” available in other languages?
Yes — the same story is in English, Kiswahili, Kikuyu, Turkana, Zulu, Afrikaans and more.
Who wrote “Labo”?
“Labo” was written by Carole Bloch and illustrated by Richard MacIntosh; the Somali translation is by Abdi Muse.
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Get the free app →Credits: Labo — Written by Carole Bloch; Illustrated by Richard MacIntosh; Translated by Abdi Muse; Read by Ibrahim Ahmed. Somali, Level 1. From Global Storybooks (global-asp.github.io/storybooks-kenya), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=3072). CC BY-NC 3.0. · Page updated October 2026