PagineMakondi aNkanka
A free picture book in Lunda by Ursula Nafula
Makondi aNkanka is a picture book in Lunda for ages 8–11 by Ursula Nafula that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.
📖 Read it free →- Language
- Lunda
- Written by
- Ursula Nafula
- Illustrated by
- Catherine Groenewald
- Translated by
- Oscar Zangata
- Reading level
- ages 8–11 · 3rd to 5th grade · Level 4 · Longer paragraphs
- From
- Zambia
- Source
- Global Storybooks
- Licence
- CC BY 3.0
- Price
- Free — read online, nothing to download
About this book
Makondi aNkanka is a short illustrated picture book in Lunda by Ursula Nafula, illustrated by Catherine Groenewald and translated by Oscar Zangata. 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 Lunda. 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
Itempa da nkanka dadin’ga dawukalawenu, denzala na masan’gu, masa na nyikamba. Ilan’ga hayuma yayiwahi, mwadin’ga makondi. Hela nkaka wadin’ga nawezhikulu zhindi amavulu, nelukili nami waken’geli ami. Wadin’ga nakumbidika kakavulu kwitala dindi. Wadin’ga nakulezha nawa tuyuma twakusweka. Ilan’ga kwadin’ga tuyuma twakan’genyiyu…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. “Makondi aNkanka” 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
- Kikamba · Maiũ ma Sũsũ
- Kimaasai · Ilmaisurîn le kokoô
- Kiswahili · Ndizi za bibi
- Lugbarati (official orthography) · Dede vile A’bua ri
- Lukhonzo · Ameeru A’mukaka
- Lumasaaba · Kamarofu ka Kuukhu
- 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 Lunda
- 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 Lunda
See all 40 free Lunda books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩🏫 Assign this book to a class
Frequently asked questions
Is “Makondi aNkanka” free to read?
Yes. “Makondi aNkanka” 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 “Makondi aNkanka” in?
It is written in Lunda. Pagine has 40 free children’s books in Lunda.
What age is “Makondi aNkanka” for?
It is best for ages 8–11 (Level 4 · Longer paragraphs). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.
Is “Makondi aNkanka” available in other languages?
Yes — the same story is in EkeGusii, Kikamba, Kimaasai, Somali, Afrikaans, Tswana and more.
Who wrote “Makondi aNkanka”?
“Makondi aNkanka” was written by Ursula Nafula and illustrated by Catherine Groenewald; the Lunda translation is by Oscar Zangata.
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Get the free app →Credits: Makondi aNkanka — Written by Ursula Nafula; Illustrated by Catherine Groenewald; Translated by Oscar Zangata. Lunda, Level 4. From Global Storybooks (storybookszambia.net), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=2094). CC BY 3.0. · Page updated October 2026