Lui klein boetie

Name: Lui klein boetie
Availability: InStock
Author: Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi

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

Cover of Lui klein boetie, a Afrikaans picture book

Lui klein boetie is a picture book in Afrikaans 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: Afrikaans
Written by: Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi
Illustrated by: Mlungisi Dlamini, Ingrid Schechter
Translated by: Helena Vilonel
Reading level: ages 2–8 · preschool, kindergarten to 2nd grade · Level 1 · First words
From: South Africa, Namibia
Source: Global Storybooks
Licence: CC BY-NC 3.0
Price: Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

Lui klein boetie is a short illustrated picture book in Afrikaans by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi, illustrated by Mlungisi Dlamini, Ingrid Schechter and translated by Helena Vilonel. 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 Afrikaans. 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 33 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).

How it begins

Ek word wakker en maak vuur. Ek kook water. Ek kap die vuurmaakhout. Ek roer die pot. Ek vee die vloer. Ek was die skottelgoed. Waarom werk ek so hard… as my boetie net heeltyd speel? Lui klein boetie —…

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. “Lui klein boetie” is also available in:

Reading together in Afrikaans

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 Afrikaans

See all 143 free Afrikaans books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩‍🏫 Assign this book to a class

Frequently asked questions

Is “Lui klein boetie” free to read?

Yes. “Lui klein boetie” 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 “Lui klein boetie” in?

It is written in Afrikaans. Pagine has 143 free children’s books in Afrikaans.

What age is “Lui klein boetie” for?

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

Is “Lui klein boetie” available in other languages?

Yes — the same story is in English, Kiswahili, Kikamba, Kimaasai, Turkana, Somali and more.

Who wrote “Lui klein boetie”?

“Lui klein boetie” was written by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi and illustrated by Mlungisi Dlamini, Ingrid Schechter; the Afrikaans translation is by Helena Vilonel.

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Credits: Lui klein boetie — Written by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi; Illustrated by Mlungisi Dlamini, Ingrid Schechter; Translated by Helena Vilonel; Read by Helena Vilonel. Afrikaans, Level 1. From Global Storybooks (southafricareads.org), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=2896). CC BY-NC 3.0. · Page updated October 2026