PagineMagozwe
A free picture book in Nyanja by Lesley Koyi
Magozwe is a picture book in Nyanja for ages 8–11 by Lesley Koyi that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.
📖 Read it free →- Language
- Nyanja
- Written by
- Lesley Koyi
- Illustrated by
- Wiehan de Jager
- Translated by
- Bether Mwale Moyo
- 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 Nyanja by Lesley Koyi, illustrated by Wiehan de Jager and translated by Bether Mwale Moyo. 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 Nyanja. 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
Mu tauni ya Nairobi, kutali ndi umoyo wosungidwa bwino kunyumba, kunali kukhala anyamata analibe mabanja. Anangokhala mwa tsiku momwe ingabwelele. Tsiku lina m’mawa, anyamata anali kulonga mpasa zao pambuyo pogona pampepo mumbali mwa museu. Kusewenzesa vinyalala, anayasa moto kuti adziteteze…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
- Kaonde · Magozwe
- Kasem · Magozwe
- Kiswahili · Magozwe
- Lukhonzo · Magozwe
- Lunda · Magozwe
- Luvale · Magozwe
- Mauritian Creole · 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 Nyanja
- 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 Nyanja
Bwenzi wa Goby wa phokoso
Kodi Amai adzabwera nthawi yanji?
Mai Msoti
Njobvu M'chipinda
Apunzisi Anga
Kodi ndi chiyani ichi?
Nikonda Kuwelenga
Tupi
See all 105 free Nyanja 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 Nyanja. Pagine has 105 free children’s books in Nyanja.
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 Nyanja translation is by Bether Mwale Moyo.
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Get the free app →Credits: Magozwe — Written by Lesley Koyi; Illustrated by Wiehan de Jager; Translated by Bether Mwale Moyo; Read by Christine Mwanza. Nyanja, 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