Nonkungu en die Imbulu
A free picture book in Afrikaans from African Storybook

Nonkungu en die Imbulu is a picture book in Afrikaans for ages 8–11 that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.
📖 Read it free →- Language
- Afrikaans
- Publisher
- African Storybook
- Reading level
- ages 8–11 · 3rd to 5th grade · Leveled reader
- From
- South Africa
- Source
- Global Digital Library
- Licence
- CC BY 4.0
- Price
- Free — read online, nothing to download
About this book
Nonkungu en die Imbulu is a short illustrated picture book in Afrikaans. It is written for ages 8–11 and is graded as Leveled reader, so it works as a read-aloud for little ones and as practice for children learning to read in Afrikaans. The book comes from the Global Digital Library and is shared under an open CC BY 4.0 licence, which is why it is free to read.
How it begins
Lank gelede was daar ’n arm man en vrou. Hulle het net een kind gehad, 'n dogter. Haar naam was Nonkungu. Hulle was baie lief vir haar. Toe sy oud genoeg was, stuur hulle haar om by haar ryk oom…Opening lines quoted from the openly licensed book (CC BY 4.0).
Reading together in Afrikaans
- 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.
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Thuli se sneesdoekie
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See all 143 free Afrikaans books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩🏫 Assign this book to a class
Frequently asked questions
Is “Nonkungu en die Imbulu” free to read?
Yes. “Nonkungu en die Imbulu” 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 “Nonkungu en die Imbulu” in?
It is written in Afrikaans. Pagine has 143 free children’s books in Afrikaans.
What age is “Nonkungu en die Imbulu” for?
It is best for ages 8–11 (Leveled reader). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.
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Get the free app →Credits: Nonkungu en die Imbulu — African Storybook, via the Global Digital Library. CC BY 4.0. Source: https://content.digitallibrary.io/af/book/nonkungu-en-die-imbulu/ · Page updated October 2026