PaginePedi
A free picture book in Sesotho by Carole Bloch
Pedi is a picture book in Sesotho for ages 2–8 by Carole Bloch that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.
📖 Read it free →- Language
- Sesotho
- Written by
- Carole Bloch
- Illustrated by
- Richard MacIntosh
- Translated by
- Maria Vaz
- Reading level
- ages 2–8 · preschool, kindergarten to 2nd grade · Level 1 · First words
- From
- South Africa
- Source
- Global Storybooks
- Licence
- CC BY-NC 3.0
- Price
- Free — read online, nothing to download
About this book
Pedi is a short illustrated picture book in Sesotho by Carole Bloch, illustrated by Richard MacIntosh and translated by Maria Vaz. 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 Sesotho. 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 26 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).
How it begins
Matsohwana a mabedi a ho tshwara. Maotwana a mabedi a ho raha. Mahlwana a mabedi a ho bona. Ditsejana tse pedi ho tsa ho utlwa. Le diatla tse mofuthu ho aka! Pedi — Written by Carole Bloch; Illustrated by Richard…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. “Pedi” is also available in:
- Afrikaans · Twee
- Bemba · Tubili
- Dagbani · ayi
- English · Two
- Jamaican Creole · Tuu
- Kaonde · Tubiji
- Khoekhoegowab · ǀGam
- Kigogo · Nyejete
- Kikuyu · Igĩrĩ
- Kiswahili · Mbili
- Krio · Tu
- Lukhonzo · Ibiri
- Lunda · Ayedi
- Luvale · Avali
- Mauritian Creole · De
- Nyanja · Awili
- Oshikwanyama · Mbali
- Oshindonga · Mbali
- Otjiherero · Uvari
- Sepedi · Pedi
- Somali · Labo
- Spanish · Dos
- Tonga · Tobilo
- Tswana · Pedi
- Turkana · Ng’arei
- Zulu · Ezimbili
Reading together in Sesotho
- 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 Sesotho
Moriri
Hobaneng dikubu di se na moriri
Andiswa Naledi ya Bolo ya maoto
Ho etsahetseng ka metsi a rona?
A re yo tsomang matlakala
Fifi le Teddy
O robala jwang?
Bora ya Sebete
See all 125 free Sesotho books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩🏫 Assign this book to a class
Frequently asked questions
Is “Pedi” free to read?
Yes. “Pedi” 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 “Pedi” in?
It is written in Sesotho. Pagine has 125 free children’s books in Sesotho.
What age is “Pedi” for?
It is best for ages 2–8 (Level 1 · First words). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.
Is “Pedi” available in other languages?
Yes — the same story is in English, Kiswahili, Kikuyu, Turkana, Somali, Zulu and more.
Who wrote “Pedi”?
“Pedi” was written by Carole Bloch and illustrated by Richard MacIntosh; the Sesotho translation is by Maria Vaz.
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Get the free app →Credits: Pedi — Written by Carole Bloch; Illustrated by Richard MacIntosh; Translated by Maria Vaz. Sesotho, Level 1. From Global Storybooks (southafricareads.org), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=3072). CC BY-NC 3.0. · Page updated October 2026