PagineOkuteleka
A free picture book in Oshikwanyama by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi
Okuteleka is a picture book in Oshikwanyama for ages 2–8 by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.
📖 Read it free →- Language
- Oshikwanyama
- Written by
- Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi
- Illustrated by
- Kathy Arbuckle, Ingrid Schechter
- Translated by
- Bertha Haimbodi
- Reading level
- ages 2–8 · preschool, kindergarten to 2nd grade · Level 1 · First words
- From
- Namibia
- Source
- Global Storybooks
- Licence
- CC BY-NC 3.0
- Price
- Free — read online, nothing to download
About this book
Okuteleka is a short illustrated picture book in Oshikwanyama by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi, illustrated by Kathy Arbuckle, Ingrid Schechter and translated by Bertha Haimbodi. 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 Oshikwanyama. The book comes from Global Storybooks and is shared under an open CC BY-NC 3.0 licence, which is why it is free to read. The same story is available in 30 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).
How it begins
Onda yuuna oihakautu. Onda teta ombidi yokola. Onda kweya oukanakamudesha. Onda kosha omakunde. Onda teta ounyangwa. Onda teta ombidi yomafo. Meme okwa teta eenyanga. Eenyanga ngeenge tadi tetwa oha di difa nge omahodi. Okuteleka — Written by Clare Verbeek, Thembani…Opening lines quoted from the openly licensed book (CC BY-NC 3.0).
This story in other languages
Reading the same story in two languages helps bilingual children connect words they already know. “Okuteleka” is also available in:
- Afrikaans · Kook
- Aringati · Aꞌdíŋá
- Ateso · Aipo
- Bemba · Ukwipika
- Dhopadhola · Tedo
- English · Cooking (Colour-in)
- Jamaican Creole · A kuk
- Kaonde · Kuteeka
- Khoekhoegowab · ǂÛdīs
- Kichaga · Kora
- Kisukuma · Kozuga
- Kiswahili · Kupika
- Lugbarati (official orthography) · Nyaká a’dɨ́zà
- Lukhonzo · Erihuka
- Lumasaaba · Khuuteekha
- Lunda · Kuteleka
- Lunyole · Ohunyiiya
- Lusoga · Okufumba
- Luvale · Kuteleka
- Mauritian Creole · Lakwizinn
- Nyanja · Kuphika
- Oshindonga · Okuteleka
- Otjiherero · Okutereka
- Sesotho · Ho pheha
- Somali · Karin
- Spanish · Cocinando
- Tonga · Kujika
- Tswana · Apaya
- Xhosa · Ukupheka
- Zulu · Ukupheka
Reading together in Oshikwanyama
- 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 Oshikwanyama
Xuxwa naMbalangadja
Osho omumwainakadona waVusi a ti
Omidjalo dofikola
Olutu lange
Khalai ta popi noimeno
Anansi nokayuma keendunge
Oiti yaNghoshi yokutaka omundilo
Omaliudo
See all 40 free Oshikwanyama books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩🏫 Assign this book to a class
Frequently asked questions
Is “Okuteleka” free to read?
Yes. “Okuteleka” 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-NC 3.0).
What language is “Okuteleka” in?
It is written in Oshikwanyama. Pagine has 40 free children’s books in Oshikwanyama.
What age is “Okuteleka” for?
It is best for ages 2–8 (Level 1 · First words). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.
Is “Okuteleka” available in other languages?
Yes — the same story is in English, Kiswahili, Somali, Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans and more.
Who wrote “Okuteleka”?
“Okuteleka” was written by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi and illustrated by Kathy Arbuckle, Ingrid Schechter; the Oshikwanyama translation is by Bertha Haimbodi.
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Get the free app →Credits: Okuteleka — Written by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi; Illustrated by Kathy Arbuckle, Ingrid Schechter; Translated by Bertha Haimbodi. Oshikwanyama, Level 1. From Global Storybooks (storybooksnamibia.net), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=2795). CC BY-NC 3.0. · Page updated October 2026