Okubala ebisolo

Name: Okubala ebisolo
Availability: InStock
Author: Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek

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

Cover of Okubala ebisolo, a Luganda picture book

Okubala ebisolo is a picture book in Luganda for ages 2–8 by Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.

📖 Read it free →

Language: Luganda
Written by: Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek
Illustrated by: Rob Owen
Translated by: Robert Ssebukyu
Reading level: ages 2–8 · preschool, kindergarten to 2nd grade · Level 1 · First words
From: Uganda
Source: Global Storybooks
Licence: CC BY 3.0
Price: Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

Okubala ebisolo is a short illustrated picture book in Luganda by Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek, illustrated by Rob Owen and translated by Robert Ssebukyu. 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 Luganda. 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 32 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).

How it begins

Enjovu emu egenda okunywa amazzi. Entugga biri zigenda okunywa amazzi. Embogo satu n’ebinyonyi bina nabyo bigenda okunywa amazzi. Empeewo ttano, n’enjiri mukaaga zigenda ku mazzi. Entulege musaanvu zidduka okugenda ku mazzi. Ebikere munaana, nebyenyanja mwenda buwugiira mumazzi. Empologoma ewuluguma, nayo…

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. “Okubala ebisolo” is also available in:

Reading together in Luganda

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 Luganda

See all 16 free Luganda books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩‍🏫 Assign this book to a class

Frequently asked questions

Is “Okubala ebisolo” free to read?

Yes. “Okubala ebisolo” 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 “Okubala ebisolo” in?

It is written in Luganda. Pagine has 16 free children’s books in Luganda.

What age is “Okubala ebisolo” for?

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

Is “Okubala ebisolo” available in other languages?

Yes — the same story is in Nigerian Pidgin, Hausa, Kiswahili, Somali, Xhosa, Afrikaans and more.

Who wrote “Okubala ebisolo”?

“Okubala ebisolo” was written by Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek and illustrated by Rob Owen; the Luganda translation is by Robert Ssebukyu.

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Credits: Okubala ebisolo — Written by Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek; Illustrated by Rob Owen; Translated by Robert Ssebukyu. Luganda, Level 1. From Global Storybooks (global-asp.github.io/storybooks-uganda), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=9671). CC BY 3.0. · Page updated October 2026