PagineMagozwe
A free picture book in Jamaican Creole by Lesley Koyi
Magozwe is a picture book in Jamaican Creole for ages 8–11 by Lesley Koyi that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.
📖 Read it free →- Language
- Jamaican Creole
- Written by
- Lesley Koyi
- Illustrated by
- Wiehan de Jager
- Translated by
- Georgette McGlashen
- Reading level
- ages 8–11 · 3rd to 5th grade · Level 5 · Read aloud / independent
- From
- Jamaica
- Source
- Global Storybooks
- Licence
- CC BY 4.0
- Price
- Free — read online, nothing to download
About this book
Magozwe is a short illustrated picture book in Jamaican Creole by Lesley Koyi, illustrated by Wiehan de Jager and translated by Georgette McGlashen. It is written for ages 8–11 (Grades 4–5) and is graded as Level 5 · Read aloud / independent, so it works as a read-aloud for little ones and as practice for children learning to read in Jamaican Creole. The book comes from Global Storybooks and is shared under an open CC BY 4.0 licence, which is why it is free to read. The same story is available in 28 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).
How it begins
Inna di bizi siti a Nairuobi, faar fram a laif a uom kier, yu did av wahn gruup a bwaai pikni we no liv no we. Dem tek evridie jos az it kom. Pan wan a di maanin dem di…Opening lines quoted from the openly licensed book (CC BY 4.0).
This story in other languages
Reading the same story in two languages helps bilingual children connect words they already know. “Magozwe” is also available in:
- Asante Twi · Magozwe
- Bemba · Magozwe
- Dagaare · Magozwe
- Dagbani · Magozwe
- Dangme · Mokasa
- Ewe · Magozwe
- Fante · Magozwe
- Ga · Magozwe
- Gonja · Magozwe
- Kaonde · Magozwe
- Kasem · Magozwe
- Kiswahili · Magozwe
- Lukhonzo · Magozwe
- Lunda · Magozwe
- Luvale · Magozwe
- Mauritian Creole · Magozwe
- Nyanja · Magozwe
- Nzema · Magozwe
- Sepedi · Magozwe
- Sesotho · Magozwe
- Somali · Magozwe
- Spanish · Magozwe
- Tonga · Magozwe
- Tsonga · Mahewu
- Tswana · Magozwe
- Venda · Magozwe
- Xhosa · UMagozwe
- Zulu · UMagozwe
Reading together in Jamaican Creole
- 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 Jamaican Creole
Tinggi an di Kou
Zama a di bes!
Chikin an Milipiid
Simbegwiere
Skuul kluoz
We mi kyat de?
Ponishment
Anansi an Wizdom
See all 40 free Jamaican Creole books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩🏫 Assign this book to a class
Frequently asked questions
Is “Magozwe” free to read?
Yes. “Magozwe” 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 4.0).
What language is “Magozwe” in?
It is written in Jamaican Creole. Pagine has 40 free children’s books in Jamaican Creole.
What age is “Magozwe” for?
It is best for ages 8–11 (Level 5 · Read aloud / independent). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.
Is “Magozwe” available in other languages?
Yes — the same story is in Somali, Zulu, Xhosa, Sepedi, Tswana, Sesotho and more.
Who wrote “Magozwe”?
“Magozwe” was written by Lesley Koyi and illustrated by Wiehan de Jager; the Jamaican Creole translation is by Georgette McGlashen.
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Get the free app →Credits: Magozwe — Written by Lesley Koyi; Illustrated by Wiehan de Jager; Translated by Georgette McGlashen. Jamaican Creole, Level 5. From Global Storybooks (global-asp.github.io/storybooks-jamaica), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=13213). CC BY 4.0. · Page updated October 2026