Okubara Ebinyamiiswa

Name: Okubara Ebinyamiiswa
Availability: InStock
Author: Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek

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

Cover of Okubara Ebinyamiiswa, a Runyankore picture book

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

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Language: Runyankore
Written by: Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek
Illustrated by: Rob Owen
Translated by: Julius Tusiime
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

Okubara Ebinyamiiswa is a short illustrated picture book in Runyankore by Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek, illustrated by Rob Owen and translated by Julius Tusiime. 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 Runyankore. 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

Enjojo emwe neza kunywa ameizi. Entureje ibiiri niziza kunwa ameizi. Embogo eishatu nana ebinyonyi bina birye nibiza kunywa ameizi. Engabi itano nana engiri niziza kunywa ameizi. Zebra mushanvu niziruka kunwa ameizi. Ebikyere munana nana ebyenyanza mwenda birye nibizuba omu meizi.…

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. “Okubara Ebinyamiiswa” is also available in:

Reading together in Runyankore

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.

See all 1 free Runyankore books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩‍🏫 Assign this book to a class

Frequently asked questions

Is “Okubara Ebinyamiiswa” free to read?

Yes. “Okubara Ebinyamiiswa” 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 “Okubara Ebinyamiiswa” in?

It is written in Runyankore. Pagine has 1 free children’s book in Runyankore.

What age is “Okubara Ebinyamiiswa” for?

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

Is “Okubara Ebinyamiiswa” available in other languages?

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

Who wrote “Okubara Ebinyamiiswa”?

“Okubara Ebinyamiiswa” was written by Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek and illustrated by Rob Owen; the Runyankore translation is by Julius Tusiime.

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Credits: Okubara Ebinyamiiswa — Written by Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek; Illustrated by Rob Owen; Translated by Julius Tusiime. Runyankore, 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