PagineMbwanana
A free picture book in Venda by Sope Martins
Mbwanana is a picture book in Venda for ages 2–8 by Sope Martins that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.
📖 Read it free →- Language
- Venda · Tshivenḓa
- Written by
- Sope Martins
- Illustrated by
- Wiehan de Jager
- Reading level
- ages 2–8 · preschool, kindergarten to 2nd grade
- From
- South Africa
- Source
- Book Dash
- Licence
- CC BY 4.0
- Price
- Free — read online, nothing to download
About this book
Mbwanana is a short illustrated picture book in Venda by Sope Martins, illustrated by Wiehan de Jager. It is written for ages 2–8, so it works as a read-aloud for little ones and as practice for children learning to read in Venda. The book comes from Book Dash and is shared under an open CC BY 4.0 licence, which is why it is free to read.
How it begins
Layo ha tsha kona u lindela u aluwa. Fhedzi u fana na mbeu dza Musengele, dze ene na makhulutshisadzi vha ṱavha, zwi nga dzhia tshifhinganyana u fhira zwine a khou […] Mbwanana — Written by Sope Martins; Illustrated by Wiehan…Opening lines quoted from the openly licensed book (CC BY 4.0).
Reading together in Venda
- 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.
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Magozwe
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Ri a vusa
See all 50 free Venda books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩🏫 Assign this book to a class
Frequently asked questions
Is “Mbwanana” free to read?
Yes. “Mbwanana” 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 “Mbwanana” in?
It is written in Venda (Tshivenḓa). Pagine has 50 free children’s books in Venda.
What age is “Mbwanana” for?
It is best for ages 2–8. Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.
Who wrote “Mbwanana”?
“Mbwanana” was written by Sope Martins and illustrated by Wiehan de Jager.
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Get the free app →Credits: Mbwanana — Written by Sope Martins; Illustrated by Wiehan de Jager; Designed by Thokozani Mkhize. Tshivenḓa. Published by Book Dash (ISBN 978-1-77632-582-5). CC BY 4.0. Source: https://bookdash.org/books/mbwanana/ · Page updated October 2026