PaginePina ya ga Sakima
A free picture book in Tswana by Ursula Nafula
Pina ya ga Sakima is a picture book in Tswana for ages 5–11 by Ursula Nafula that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.
📖 Read it free →- Language
- Tswana
- Written by
- Ursula Nafula
- Illustrated by
- Peris Wachuka
- Translated by
- Domitilla Naledi Madi
- Reading level
- ages 5–11 · kindergarten to 2nd grade, 3rd to 5th grade · Level 3 · First paragraphs
- From
- South Africa, Namibia
- Source
- Global Storybooks
- Licence
- CC BY 4.0
- Price
- Free — read online, nothing to download
About this book
Pina ya ga Sakima is a short illustrated picture book in Tswana by Ursula Nafula, illustrated by Peris Wachuka and translated by Domitilla Naledi Madi. It is written for ages 5–11 (Grades 2–3) and is graded as Level 3 · First paragraphs, so it works as a read-aloud for little ones and as practice for children learning to read in Tswana. The book comes from Global Storybooks and is shared under an open CC BY 4.0 licence, which is why it is free to read. The same story is available in 19 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).
How it begins
Sakima o ne a nna le batsadi ba gagwe le kgaitsadie yo o dingwaga tse nne. Ba ne ba nna mo mmung wa monna wa mohumi. Ntlo ya bone ya borulelo jwa bojang e ne e le kwa bofelong jwa…Opening lines quoted from the openly licensed book (CC BY 4.0).
This story in other languages
Reading the same story in two languages helps bilingual children connect words they already know. “Pina ya ga Sakima” is also available in:
- Afrikaans · Sakima se lied
- Bemba · Ulwimbo lwakwa Sakima
- English · Sakima's song
- Jamaican Creole · Sakiima Sang
- Kaonde · Lwimbo wakwa Sakima
- Khoekhoegowab · Sakimab di ams
- Kiswahili · Wimbo wa Sakima
- Lukhonzo · Olwimbo lwa Sakima
- Lunda · Mwasu wa Sakima
- Luvale · Mwaso wa Sakima
- Mauritian Creole · Sakima so sante
- Nyanja · Nyimbo ya Sakima
- Oshikwanyama · Eimbilo laSakima
- Oshindonga · Ondjimbo yaSakima
- Otjiherero · Eimburiro ra Sakima
- Somali · Heestii Sakima
- Spanish · La canción de Sakima
- Tonga · Nyimbo ya Sakima
- Xhosa · Iculo lika Sakima
Reading together in Tswana
- 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 Tswana
Buka ya seemo sa bosa
Tingi le dikgomo
Zama o godile.
Koko le Sebokolodi
Magozwe
Yo o mo magareng
Metshamekwane ya ditshwene
O robala jang?
See all 103 free Tswana books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩🏫 Assign this book to a class
Frequently asked questions
Is “Pina ya ga Sakima” free to read?
Yes. “Pina ya ga Sakima” 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 4.0).
What language is “Pina ya ga Sakima” in?
It is written in Tswana. Pagine has 103 free children’s books in Tswana.
What age is “Pina ya ga Sakima” for?
It is best for ages 5–11 (Level 3 · First paragraphs). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.
Is “Pina ya ga Sakima” available in other languages?
Yes — the same story is in English, Kiswahili, Somali, Xhosa, Afrikaans, Lukhonzo and more.
Who wrote “Pina ya ga Sakima”?
“Pina ya ga Sakima” was written by Ursula Nafula and illustrated by Peris Wachuka; the Tswana translation is by Domitilla Naledi Madi.
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Get the free app →Credits: Pina ya ga Sakima — Written by Ursula Nafula; Illustrated by Peris Wachuka; Translated by Domitilla Naledi Madi. Tswana, Level 3. From Global Storybooks (southafricareads.org), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=13244). CC BY 4.0. · Page updated October 2026