Mwii wakwa

Name: Mwii wakwa
Availability: InStock
Author: Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi

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

Cover of Mwii wakwa, a Kikamba picture book

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

📖 Read it free →

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

About this book

Mwii wakwa is a short illustrated picture book in Kikamba by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi, illustrated by Mlungisi Dlamini, Ingrid Schechter and translated by Anna Kula. 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 Kikamba. 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

Nothembe nawo. No nituile nawo. Nonisunge nawo. Nonitivie nawo. Nonitulatuile nawo. Nonithele nawo. Ngingega ngawo. Indi ndiuluka nawo. Mwii wakwa — Written by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi; Illustrated by Mlungisi Dlamini, Ingrid Schechter; Translated by Anna Kula. Kikamba,…

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. “Mwii wakwa” is also available in:

Reading together in Kikamba

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 Kikamba

See all 19 free Kikamba books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩‍🏫 Assign this book to a class

Frequently asked questions

Is “Mwii wakwa” free to read?

Yes. “Mwii wakwa” 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 “Mwii wakwa” in?

It is written in Kikamba. Pagine has 19 free children’s books in Kikamba.

What age is “Mwii wakwa” for?

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

Is “Mwii wakwa” available in other languages?

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

Who wrote “Mwii wakwa”?

“Mwii wakwa” was written by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi and illustrated by Mlungisi Dlamini, Ingrid Schechter; the Kikamba translation is by Anna Kula.

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Credits: Mwii wakwa — Written by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi; Illustrated by Mlungisi Dlamini, Ingrid Schechter; Translated by Anna Kula. Kikamba, Level 1. From Global Storybooks (global-asp.github.io/storybooks-kenya), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=1790). CC BY-NC 3.0. · Page updated October 2026