Mwili wangu

Name: Mwili wangu
Availability: InStock
Author: Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi

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

Cover of Mwili wangu, a Kiswahili picture book

Mwili wangu is a picture book in Kiswahili 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: Kiswahili
Written by: Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi
Illustrated by: Mlungisi Dlamini, Ingrid Schechter
Translated by: Peterson Kibuuri, Stevenson Mutisya
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

Mwili wangu is a short illustrated picture book in Kiswahili by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi, illustrated by Mlungisi Dlamini, Ingrid Schechter and translated by Peterson Kibuuri, Stevenson Mutisya. 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 Kiswahili. 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

Ninaweza kukimbia nao. Ninaweza kuruka nao. Ninaweza kucheza nao. Ninaweza kuogelea nao. Ninaweza kuruka kamba nao. Ninaweza kupiga mpira nao. Ninaweza kutoroka nao. Lakini siwezi kupaa nao angani. Mwili wangu — Written by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi; Illustrated…

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. “Mwili wangu” is also available in:

Reading together in Kiswahili

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 Kiswahili

See all 100 free Kiswahili books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩‍🏫 Assign this book to a class

Frequently asked questions

Is “Mwili wangu” free to read?

Yes. “Mwili wangu” 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 “Mwili wangu” in?

It is written in Kiswahili. Pagine has 100 free children’s books in Kiswahili.

What age is “Mwili wangu” for?

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

Is “Mwili wangu” available in other languages?

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

Who wrote “Mwili wangu”?

“Mwili wangu” was written by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi and illustrated by Mlungisi Dlamini, Ingrid Schechter; the Kiswahili translation is by Peterson Kibuuri, Stevenson Mutisya.

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Credits: Mwili wangu — Written by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi; Illustrated by Mlungisi Dlamini, Ingrid Schechter; Translated by Peterson Kibuuri, Stevenson Mutisya; Read by Lauwo George. Kiswahili, 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