PagineMbali
A free picture book in Oshindonga by Carole Bloch
Mbali is a picture book in Oshindonga for ages 2–8 by Carole Bloch that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.
📖 Read it free →- Language
- Oshindonga
- Written by
- Carole Bloch
- Illustrated by
- Richard MacIntosh
- Translated by
- Rachel Nandjembo
- Reading level
- ages 2–8 · preschool, kindergarten to 2nd grade · Level 1 · First words
- From
- Namibia
- Source
- Global Storybooks
- Licence
- CC BY-NC 3.0
- Price
- Free — read online, nothing to download
About this book
Mbali is a short illustrated picture book in Oshindonga by Carole Bloch, illustrated by Richard MacIntosh and translated by Rachel Nandjembo. It is written for ages 2–8 (Nursery–Year 1) and is graded as Level 1 · First words, so it works as a read-aloud for little ones and as practice for children learning to read in Oshindonga. The book comes from Global Storybooks and is shared under an open CC BY-NC 3.0 licence, which is why it is free to read. The same story is available in 26 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).
How it begins
Uuke uyali tawu kwata. Uupadhi uyali tawu thanga. Uumeho uyali tawu tala. Uukutsi uyali tawu uvu. Nomaako gaali taga papatele nohole. Mbali — Written by Carole Bloch; Illustrated by Richard MacIntosh; Translated by Rachel Nandjembo; Read by Rachel Nandjembo. Oshindonga,…Opening lines quoted from the openly licensed book (CC BY-NC 3.0).
This story in other languages
Reading the same story in two languages helps bilingual children connect words they already know. “Mbali” is also available in:
- Afrikaans · Twee
- Bemba · Tubili
- Dagbani · ayi
- English · Two
- Jamaican Creole · Tuu
- Kaonde · Tubiji
- Khoekhoegowab · ǀGam
- Kigogo · Nyejete
- Kikuyu · Igĩrĩ
- Kiswahili · Mbili
- Krio · Tu
- Lukhonzo · Ibiri
- Lunda · Ayedi
- Luvale · Avali
- Mauritian Creole · De
- Nyanja · Awili
- Oshikwanyama · Mbali
- Otjiherero · Uvari
- Sepedi · Pedi
- Sesotho · Pedi
- Somali · Labo
- Spanish · Dos
- Tonga · Tobilo
- Tswana · Pedi
- Turkana · Ng’arei
- Zulu · Ezimbili
Reading together in Oshindonga
- 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 Oshindonga
Zama ependafule!
Esiku nda thiga po egumbo ndi ye koshilando
Okuyoga momulonga gwaZambezi
Tala kiinamwenyo
Okambishi kandje oke li peni?
Egeelo
Okanona okandôongi
Ondjimbo yaSakima
See all 40 free Oshindonga books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩🏫 Assign this book to a class
Frequently asked questions
Is “Mbali” free to read?
Yes. “Mbali” 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-NC 3.0).
What language is “Mbali” in?
It is written in Oshindonga. Pagine has 40 free children’s books in Oshindonga.
What age is “Mbali” for?
It is best for ages 2–8 (Level 1 · First words). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.
Is “Mbali” available in other languages?
Yes — the same story is in English, Kiswahili, Kikuyu, Turkana, Somali, Zulu and more.
Who wrote “Mbali”?
“Mbali” was written by Carole Bloch and illustrated by Richard MacIntosh; the Oshindonga translation is by Rachel Nandjembo.
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Get the free app →Credits: Mbali — Written by Carole Bloch; Illustrated by Richard MacIntosh; Translated by Rachel Nandjembo; Read by Rachel Nandjembo. Oshindonga, Level 1. From Global Storybooks (storybooksnamibia.net), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=3072). CC BY-NC 3.0. · Page updated October 2026