PagineMahewu
A free picture book in Tsonga by Lesley Koyi
Mahewu is a picture book in Tsonga for ages 8–11 by Lesley Koyi that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.
📖 Read it free →- Language
- Tsonga
- Written by
- Lesley Koyi
- Illustrated by
- Wiehan de Jager
- Translated by
- Arnold Mushwana
- Reading level
- ages 8–11 · 3rd to 5th grade · Level 5 · Read aloud / independent
- From
- South Africa
- Source
- Global Storybooks
- Licence
- CC BY 4.0
- Price
- Free — read online, nothing to download
About this book
Mahewu is a short illustrated picture book in Tsonga by Lesley Koyi, illustrated by Wiehan de Jager and translated by Arnold Mushwana. 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 Tsonga. 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
Eka doroba ra mphesaphesa ra Giyani a ku ri na swifanyetana swo pfumala makaya. A swi amukela xin’wana na xin’wana lexi siku ri swi khomeleke swona. Hi mixo wun’wana a va ri ku sungeni ka mimete ya vona endzhaku ka…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. “Mahewu” 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
- Tonga · Magozwe
- Tswana · Magozwe
- Venda · Magozwe
- Xhosa · UMagozwe
- Zulu · UMagozwe
Reading together in Tsonga
- 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 Tsonga
Ndzilo
Huku Na Khongoloti
Tintangu ta Shongololo
Hikwalahokayini ku ri na mbhovo ekhumbini?
Nghala ya nkati leyo karhala
N’waximbutani
U kwihi Lulu?
Xana ku na Un’wana wo Fana na Mina?
See all 56 free Tsonga books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩🏫 Assign this book to a class
Frequently asked questions
Is “Mahewu” free to read?
Yes. “Mahewu” 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 “Mahewu” in?
It is written in Tsonga. Pagine has 56 free children’s books in Tsonga.
What age is “Mahewu” for?
It is best for ages 8–11 (Level 5 · Read aloud / independent). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.
Is “Mahewu” available in other languages?
Yes — the same story is in Somali, Zulu, Xhosa, Sepedi, Tswana, Sesotho and more.
Who wrote “Mahewu”?
“Mahewu” was written by Lesley Koyi and illustrated by Wiehan de Jager; the Tsonga translation is by Arnold Mushwana.
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Get the free app →Credits: Mahewu — Written by Lesley Koyi; Illustrated by Wiehan de Jager; Translated by Arnold Mushwana. Tsonga, Level 5. From Global Storybooks (southafricareads.org), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=13213). CC BY 4.0. · Page updated October 2026