PagineNthochi za Agogo
A free picture book in Nyanja by Ursula Nafula
Nthochi za Agogo is a picture book in Nyanja for ages 8–11 by Ursula Nafula that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.
📖 Read it free →- Language
- Nyanja
- Written by
- Ursula Nafula
- Illustrated by
- Catherine Groenewald
- Translated by
- David Sani Mwanza
- Reading level
- ages 8–11 · 3rd to 5th grade · Level 4 · Longer paragraphs
- From
- Zambia
- Source
- Global Storybooks
- Licence
- CC BY 3.0
- Price
- Free — read online, nothing to download
About this book
Nthochi za Agogo is a short illustrated picture book in Nyanja by Ursula Nafula, illustrated by Catherine Groenewald and translated by David Sani Mwanza. 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 Nyanja. The book comes from Global Storybooks and is shared under an open CC BY 3.0 licence, which is why it is free to read. The same story is available in 18 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).
How it begins
Dimba ya agogo inali yabwino, ili ndi mapila ndi manyuchi ndi cinangwa. Koma zabwino kuposa zonse zinali nthochi. Angakhale kuti agogo anali ndi ana azukulu ambili, ndinadziwa kuti ndinali wa pamtima wao. Anali kundiitana kawili-kawili kunyumba yao. Anandiuza zacisinsi. Koma…Opening lines quoted from the openly licensed book (CC BY 3.0).
This story in other languages
Reading the same story in two languages helps bilingual children connect words they already know. “Nthochi za Agogo” is also available in:
- Afrikaans · Ouma se piesangs
- Bemba · Inkonde shaba maama
- EkeGusii · Amatoke A’baba
- Jamaican Creole · Granmaa banaana dem
- Kaonde · Makonde aba Nkambo
- Kikamba · Maiũ ma Sũsũ
- Kimaasai · Ilmaisurîn le kokoô
- Kiswahili · Ndizi za bibi
- Lugbarati (official orthography) · Dede vile A’bua ri
- Lukhonzo · Ameeru A’mukaka
- Lumasaaba · Kamarofu ka Kuukhu
- Lunda · Makondi aNkanka
- Luvale · Makonde akhaka
- Mauritian Creole · Banann granmer
- Somali · Mooskii ayeeyo
- Spanish · Los plátanos de mi abuela
- Tonga · Mabbanana Aabaneene
- Tswana · Dipanana tsa ga mmemogolo
Reading together in Nyanja
- 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 Nyanja
See all 105 free Nyanja books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩🏫 Assign this book to a class
Frequently asked questions
Is “Nthochi za Agogo” free to read?
Yes. “Nthochi za Agogo” 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 3.0).
What language is “Nthochi za Agogo” in?
It is written in Nyanja. Pagine has 105 free children’s books in Nyanja.
What age is “Nthochi za Agogo” for?
It is best for ages 8–11 (Level 4 · Longer paragraphs). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.
Is “Nthochi za Agogo” available in other languages?
Yes — the same story is in EkeGusii, Kikamba, Kimaasai, Somali, Afrikaans, Tswana and more.
Who wrote “Nthochi za Agogo”?
“Nthochi za Agogo” was written by Ursula Nafula and illustrated by Catherine Groenewald; the Nyanja translation is by David Sani Mwanza.
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Get the free app →Credits: Nthochi za Agogo — Written by Ursula Nafula; Illustrated by Catherine Groenewald; Translated by David Sani Mwanza; Read by Christine Mwanza. Nyanja, Level 4. From Global Storybooks (storybookszambia.net), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=2094). CC BY 3.0. · Page updated October 2026