PagineMagozwe
A free picture book in Kaonde by Lesley Koyi
Magozwe is a picture book in Kaonde for ages 8–11 by Lesley Koyi that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.
📖 Read it free →- Language
- Kaonde
- Written by
- Lesley Koyi
- Illustrated by
- Wiehan de Jager
- Translated by
- Ruth Kapamba, Mwitila Ntabo
- Reading level
- ages 8–11 · 3rd to 5th grade · Level 5 · Read aloud / independent
- From
- Zambia
- 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 Kaonde by Lesley Koyi, illustrated by Wiehan de Jager and translated by Ruth Kapamba, Mwitila Ntabo. 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 Kaonde. 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
Mutaunyi wa Nairobi, kwalepa namuzhi, kwajinga jibumba ja banyike babalume babujile pakwikala. Baikalangatu monka muila moba. Juuba jimo lukeelo, bano banyike bapaikile bisanswe byabo byobalaajilepo mumashika. Baambwile mujilo kwingijisha ndochi pakuuba amba bomvweko kyuuya. Pabano banyike pajinga ne nsongwalume wajizhina…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
- Jamaican Creole · 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 Kaonde
- 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 Kaonde
Byoñumvwa
Buuku Wankilo
Baana Babupula
Muntu Walepa Bingi
Juuba Jonafumine Kumuzhi Kuya Kutaunyi
Moba Akukokoloka na ba Nkambo Babakazhi
Mona Banyama
Ubena Kuuba ka?
See all 40 free Kaonde 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 Kaonde. Pagine has 40 free children’s books in Kaonde.
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 Kaonde translation is by Ruth Kapamba, Mwitila Ntabo.
Log books, set goals and build a daily reading habit — free on iOS, Android and the web.
Get the free app →Credits: Magozwe — Written by Lesley Koyi; Illustrated by Wiehan de Jager; Translated by Ruth Kapamba, Mwitila Ntabo. Kaonde, Level 5. From Global Storybooks (storybookszambia.net), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=13213). CC BY 4.0. · Page updated October 2026