Nako ya boikhutso le mmemogolo

Name: Nako ya boikhutso le mmemogolo
Availability: InStock
Author: Violet Otieno

A free picture book in Tswana by Violet Otieno

Cover of Nako ya boikhutso le mmemogolo, a Tswana picture book

Nako ya boikhutso le mmemogolo is a picture book in Tswana for ages 8–11 by Violet Otieno that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.

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Language: Tswana
Written by: Violet Otieno
Illustrated by: Catherine Groenewald
Translated by: Domitilla Naledi Madi
Reading level: ages 8–11 · 3rd to 5th grade · Level 4 · Longer paragraphs
From: South Africa, Namibia
Source: Global Storybooks
Licence: CC BY 4.0
Price: Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

Nako ya boikhutso le mmemogolo is a short illustrated picture book in Tswana by Violet Otieno, illustrated by Catherine Groenewald and translated by Domitilla Naledi Madi. It is written for ages 8–11 (Grades 3–4) and is graded as Level 4 · Longer paragraphs, 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 4.0 licence, which is why it is free to read. The same story is available in 21 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).

How it begins

Odongo le Apiyo ba ne ba nna mo toropong le rra bona. Ba ne ba bonela pele malatsi a boikhutso. E seng fela ka ntlha ya gore dikolo di tswadilwe, mme ka ntlha ya gonne ba ya go etela mmemogolo…

Opening lines quoted from the openly licensed book (CC BY 4.0).

This story in other languages

Reading the same story in two languages helps bilingual children connect words they already know. “Nako ya boikhutso le mmemogolo” 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 “Nako ya boikhutso le mmemogolo” free to read?

Yes. “Nako ya boikhutso le mmemogolo” 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 “Nako ya boikhutso le mmemogolo” in?

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

What age is “Nako ya boikhutso le mmemogolo” for?

It is best for ages 8–11 (Level 4 · Longer paragraphs). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.

Is “Nako ya boikhutso le mmemogolo” available in other languages?

Yes — the same story is in Turkana, Somali, Zulu, Xhosa, Sepedi, Tsonga and more.

Who wrote “Nako ya boikhutso le mmemogolo”?

“Nako ya boikhutso le mmemogolo” was written by Violet Otieno and illustrated by Catherine Groenewald; the Tswana translation is by Domitilla Naledi Madi.

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Credits: Nako ya boikhutso le mmemogolo — Written by Violet Otieno; Illustrated by Catherine Groenewald; Translated by Domitilla Naledi Madi. Tswana, Level 4. From Global Storybooks (southafricareads.org), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=12084). CC BY 4.0. · Page updated October 2026