PagineMaiũ ma Sũsũ
A free picture book in Kikamba by Ursula Nafula
Maiũ ma Sũsũ is a picture book in Kikamba for ages 8–11 by Ursula Nafula that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.
📖 Read it free →- Language
- Kikamba
- Written by
- Ursula Nafula
- Illustrated by
- Catherine Groenewald
- Translated by
- Anna Kula
- Reading level
- ages 8–11 · 3rd to 5th grade · Level 4 · Longer paragraphs
- From
- Kenya
- Source
- Global Storybooks
- Licence
- CC BY 3.0
- Price
- Free — read online, nothing to download
About this book
Maiũ ma Sũsũ is a short illustrated picture book in Kikamba by Ursula Nafula, illustrated by Catherine Groenewald and translated by Anna Kula. It is written for ages 8–11 (Grades 3–4) and is graded as Level 4 · Longer paragraphs, so it works as a read-aloud for little ones and as practice for children learning to read in Kikamba. The book comes from Global Storybooks and is shared under an open CC BY 3.0 licence, which is why it is free to read. The same story is available in 18 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).
How it begins
Sũsũ aĩ vakuvĩ mĩaka mĩongo mwonza. Aĩ mũthangaau. Mũũndanĩ kwake avandaa mũvya, mwee, manga na maiũ. Sũsũ akethaa maiũ kĩla ĩvinda ya mwaka. Grandma’s garden was wonderful full of sorghum, millet, and cassava. But best of all were the bananas.…Opening lines quoted from the openly licensed book (CC BY 3.0).
This story in other languages
Reading the same story in two languages helps bilingual children connect words they already know. “Maiũ ma Sũsũ” is also available in:
- Afrikaans · Ouma se piesangs
- Bemba · Inkonde shaba maama
- EkeGusii · Amatoke A’baba
- Jamaican Creole · Granmaa banaana dem
- Kaonde · Makonde aba Nkambo
- Kimaasai · Ilmaisurîn le kokoô
- Kiswahili · Ndizi za bibi
- Lugbarati (official orthography) · Dede vile A’bua ri
- Lukhonzo · Ameeru A’mukaka
- Lumasaaba · Kamarofu ka Kuukhu
- Lunda · Makondi aNkanka
- Luvale · Makonde akhaka
- Mauritian Creole · Banann granmer
- Nyanja · Nthochi za Agogo
- Somali · Mooskii ayeeyo
- Spanish · Los plátanos de mi abuela
- Tonga · Mabbanana Aabaneene
- Tswana · Dipanana tsa ga mmemogolo
Reading together in Kikamba
- 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 Kikamba
Kamwanayia kaanu
Nũũ ũtonya kũtala nginya ĩkũmi?
Ngũa syakwa sya sukulu
Mbui, Ngiti na Ng’ombe
Mbaka sya Selemeng'e
Nzwĩĩ
Mbaka na Ngitĩ syĩkulula na kũvaka langi
Mũndũ ũme mwaasa mũno
See all 19 free Kikamba books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩🏫 Assign this book to a class
Frequently asked questions
Is “Maiũ ma Sũsũ” free to read?
Yes. “Maiũ ma Sũsũ” 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 3.0).
What language is “Maiũ ma Sũsũ” in?
It is written in Kikamba. Pagine has 19 free children’s books in Kikamba.
What age is “Maiũ ma Sũsũ” for?
It is best for ages 8–11 (Level 4 · Longer paragraphs). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.
Is “Maiũ ma Sũsũ” available in other languages?
Yes — the same story is in EkeGusii, Kimaasai, Somali, Afrikaans, Tswana, Kiswahili and more.
Who wrote “Maiũ ma Sũsũ”?
“Maiũ ma Sũsũ” was written by Ursula Nafula and illustrated by Catherine Groenewald; the Kikamba translation is by Anna Kula.
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Get the free app →Credits: Maiũ ma Sũsũ — Written by Ursula Nafula; Illustrated by Catherine Groenewald; Translated by Anna Kula. Kikamba, Level 4. From Global Storybooks (global-asp.github.io/storybooks-kenya), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=2094). CC BY 3.0. · Page updated October 2026