PagineMagozwe
A free picture book in Tonga by Lesley Koyi
Magozwe is a picture book in Tonga for ages 8–11 by Lesley Koyi that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.
📖 Read it free →- Language
- Tonga
- Written by
- Lesley Koyi
- Illustrated by
- Wiehan de Jager
- Translated by
- Vision Milimo
- 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 Tonga by Lesley Koyi, illustrated by Wiehan de Jager and translated by Vision Milimo. 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 Tonga. 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
Mudolopo lya Nairobi, kule abubotu bwa kukkala mumunzi, kwakali kabunga kabana basankwa balo batakajisi nkobazulilwa. Bakalikupona buumi bwabo mbubona mbuli mazuba mbwaakali kutobelana. Bumwi buzuba mafwumo-fwumo, basankwa aba bakalongela minseme yabo nibakazwaa kubuka mumigelo yamumugwagwa aakali mpeyo kapati. Bakali kunga…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
- Nyanja · Magozwe
- Nzema · Magozwe
- Sepedi · Magozwe
- Sesotho · Magozwe
- Somali · Magozwe
- Spanish · Magozwe
- Tsonga · Mahewu
- Tswana · Magozwe
- Venda · Magozwe
- Xhosa · UMagozwe
- Zulu · UMagozwe
Reading together in Tonga
- 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 Tonga
Ndayandisya Kubala!
Masusu
Mubili Wangu
Khalai Ulabandika Kuzyisyango
Mbuto Nsyoonto: Kaano ka Wangari Maathai
Cizyole ca Ngede
Mulilo
Kasyoonto Kangu kasankwa Katolo
See all 40 free Tonga 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 Tonga. Pagine has 40 free children’s books in Tonga.
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 Tonga translation is by Vision Milimo.
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 Vision Milimo. Tonga, 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