Molelo

A free picture book in Tswana by Deborah Namugosa, Beatrice Nabune, Alison Tukei, Rose Sabano

Molelo is a picture book in Tswana for ages 2–8 by Deborah Namugosa, Beatrice Nabune, Alison Tukei, Rose Sabano that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.

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Language: Tswana
Written by: Deborah Namugosa, Beatrice Nabune, Alison Tukei, Rose Sabano
Illustrated by: Rob Owen
Translated by: Antonia 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 3.0
Price: Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

Molelo is a short illustrated picture book in Tswana by Deborah Namugosa, Beatrice Nabune, Alison Tukei, Rose Sabano, illustrated by Rob Owen and translated by Antonia 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 3.0 licence, which is why it is free to read. The same story is available in 32 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).

How it begins

Leba, molelo. Molelo o a tuka. Molelo o a apaya. Molelo o naya bothito. Molelo o ntsha lesedi. Leba, molelo. Molelo o a hakgamatsa. Gape o a thatafatsa. Molelo — Written by Deborah Namugosa, Beatrice Nabune, Alison Tukei, Rose Sabano;…

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. “Molelo” 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 “Molelo” free to read?

Yes. “Molelo” 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 “Molelo” in?

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

What age is “Molelo” for?

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

Is “Molelo” available in other languages?

Yes — the same story is in English, Yoruba, Kiswahili, Kikuyu, Samburu, Somali and more.

Who wrote “Molelo”?

“Molelo” was written by Deborah Namugosa, Beatrice Nabune, Alison Tukei, Rose Sabano and illustrated by Rob Owen; the Tswana translation is by Antonia Madi.

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Credits: Molelo — Written by Deborah Namugosa, Beatrice Nabune, Alison Tukei, Rose Sabano; Illustrated by Rob Owen; Translated by Antonia Madi. Tswana, Level 1. From Global Storybooks (southafricareads.org), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=8565). CC BY 3.0. · Page updated October 2026