Mmele wame

Name: Mmele wame
Availability: InStock
Author: Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi

A free picture book in Tswana by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi

Cover of Mmele wame, a Tswana picture book

Mmele wame is a picture book in Tswana for ages 2–8 by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.

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Language: Tswana
Written by: Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi
Illustrated by: Mlungisi Dlamini, Ingrid Schechter
Translated by: Domitilla Naledi Madi
Reading level: ages 2–8 · preschool, kindergarten to 2nd grade · Level 1 · First words
From: South Africa, Namibia
Source: Global Storybooks
Licence: CC BY-NC 3.0
Price: Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

Mmele wame is a short illustrated picture book in Tswana by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi, illustrated by Mlungisi Dlamini, Ingrid Schechter and translated by Domitilla Naledi Madi. 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 Tswana. 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 29 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).

How it begins

Ke kgona go taboga ka ona. Ke kgona go tlola ka ona. Ke kgona go bina ka ona. Ke kgona go thuma ka ona. Ke kgona go tlola kgole ka ona. Ke kgona go raga ka ona. Ke kgona go…

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. “Mmele wame” is also available in:

Reading together in Tswana

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 Tswana

See all 103 free Tswana books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩‍🏫 Assign this book to a class

Frequently asked questions

Is “Mmele wame” free to read?

Yes. “Mmele wame” 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 “Mmele wame” in?

It is written in Tswana. Pagine has 103 free children’s books in Tswana.

What age is “Mmele wame” for?

It is best for ages 2–8 (Level 1 · First words). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.

Is “Mmele wame” available in other languages?

Yes — the same story is in Kiswahili, Kikamba, Somali, Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans and more.

Who wrote “Mmele wame”?

“Mmele wame” was written by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi and illustrated by Mlungisi Dlamini, Ingrid Schechter; the Tswana translation is by Domitilla Naledi Madi.

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Credits: Mmele wame — Written by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi; Illustrated by Mlungisi Dlamini, Ingrid Schechter; Translated by Domitilla Naledi Madi. Tswana, Level 1. From Global Storybooks (southafricareads.org), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=1790). CC BY-NC 3.0. · Page updated October 2026