PagineNgwana wa setshwano sa tonki
A free picture book in Tswana by Lindiwe Matshikiza
Ngwana wa setshwano sa tonki is a picture book in Tswana for ages 5–11 by Lindiwe Matshikiza that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.
📖 Read it free →- Language
- Tswana
- Written by
- Lindiwe Matshikiza
- Illustrated by
- Meghan Judge
- Translated by
- McDonald Kgobetsi
- Reading level
- ages 5–11 · kindergarten to 2nd grade, 3rd to 5th grade · Level 3 · First paragraphs
- From
- South Africa, Namibia
- Source
- Global Storybooks
- Licence
- CC BY 4.0
- Price
- Free — read online, nothing to download
About this book
Ngwana wa setshwano sa tonki is a short illustrated picture book in Tswana by Lindiwe Matshikiza, illustrated by Meghan Judge and translated by McDonald Kgobetsi. It is written for ages 5–11 (Grades 2–3) and is graded as Level 3 · First 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 22 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).
How it begins
E ne e le mosetsana yo o boneng pele sebopego se se sa tlwaelesegang mo sekgaleng. Fa sebopego se ntse se utamela, a bona e le mosadi yo o goletsweng. Mosetsana a ya gaufi le mosadi a ntse a tlhabiwa…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. “Ngwana wa setshwano sa tonki” is also available in:
- Afrikaans · Donkie-kind
- Bemba · Umwana Punda
- Dhopadhola · Nyathi Ma Nyakare
- English · Donkey child
- Jamaican Creole · Dangki Pikni
- Kaonde · Mbongolo Mwana
- Khoekhoegowab · Donki ǀgôab xa
- Kiswahili · Mtoto Punda
- Lukhonzo · Akana K’epunda
- Lunda · Mwana wa Donki
- Luvale · Mwana Chimbulu
- Mauritian Creole · Zanfan-Bourik
- Nyanja · Mwana wa Bulu
- Oshikwanyama · Okaana okandongwina
- Oshindonga · Okanona okandôongi
- Otjiherero · Okasinona
- Somali · Ilmo dameer ah
- Spanish · El Niño Burro
- Tonga · Kana Kambongolo
- Turkana · Ikoku sikiria
- Xhosa · Umbhongolo, Usana Olusisimanga
- Zulu · Umntwana ongajwayelekile
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
Go bala diphologolo
Kwena e e ne e tshwerwe ke tlala
Apaya
Tshwetso
Botlhale jwa ga Anansi
Se mogoloe Susi a se buileng
Leru le le Ngongoregileng
Diresepe tsa ga Lonwabo
See all 103 free Tswana books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩🏫 Assign this book to a class
Frequently asked questions
Is “Ngwana wa setshwano sa tonki” free to read?
Yes. “Ngwana wa setshwano sa tonki” 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 “Ngwana wa setshwano sa tonki” in?
It is written in Tswana. Pagine has 103 free children’s books in Tswana.
What age is “Ngwana wa setshwano sa tonki” for?
It is best for ages 5–11 (Level 3 · First paragraphs). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.
Is “Ngwana wa setshwano sa tonki” available in other languages?
Yes — the same story is in English, Turkana, Somali, Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans and more.
Who wrote “Ngwana wa setshwano sa tonki”?
“Ngwana wa setshwano sa tonki” was written by Lindiwe Matshikiza and illustrated by Meghan Judge; the Tswana translation is by McDonald Kgobetsi.
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Get the free app →Credits: Ngwana wa setshwano sa tonki — Written by Lindiwe Matshikiza; Illustrated by Meghan Judge; Translated by McDonald Kgobetsi. Tswana, Level 3. From Global Storybooks (southafricareads.org), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=15028). CC BY 4.0. · Page updated October 2026