Lwaki nkola zenka?

Name: Lwaki nkola zenka?
Availability: InStock
Author: Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi

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

Cover of Lwaki nkola zenka?, a Lusoga picture book

Lwaki nkola zenka? is a picture book in Lusoga 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: Lusoga
Written by: Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi
Illustrated by: Mlungisi Dlamini, Ingrid Schechter
Translated by: James Kidulu
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

Lwaki nkola zenka? is a short illustrated picture book in Lusoga by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi, illustrated by Mlungisi Dlamini, Ingrid Schechter and translated by James Kidulu. 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 Lusoga. 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

Nzuuka naakuma omuliro mu ziiko. Nfumba amaadhi ga buugi. Naayasaga enku. Naakuyuga mu buugi. Naayeya enhumba. Naanaaza amasowaani. Lwaki nkola zenka… … nga muganda wange ali kuzaanha buzaanhe? Lwaki nkola zenka? — Written by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi;…

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. “Lwaki nkola zenka?” is also available in:

Reading together in Lusoga

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 Lusoga

See all 11 free Lusoga books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩‍🏫 Assign this book to a class

Frequently asked questions

Is “Lwaki nkola zenka?” free to read?

Yes. “Lwaki nkola zenka?” 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 “Lwaki nkola zenka?” in?

It is written in Lusoga. Pagine has 11 free children’s books in Lusoga.

What age is “Lwaki nkola zenka?” for?

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

Is “Lwaki nkola zenka?” available in other languages?

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

Who wrote “Lwaki nkola zenka?”?

“Lwaki nkola zenka?” was written by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi and illustrated by Mlungisi Dlamini, Ingrid Schechter; the Lusoga translation is by James Kidulu.

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Credits: Lwaki nkola zenka? — Written by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi; Illustrated by Mlungisi Dlamini, Ingrid Schechter; Translated by James Kidulu. Lusoga, Level 1. From Global Storybooks (global-asp.github.io/storybooks-uganda), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=2896). CC BY-NC 3.0. · Page updated October 2026