Santiman

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

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

Cover of Santiman, a Mauritian Creole picture book

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

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Language: Mauritian Creole
Written by: Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi
Illustrated by: Kathy Arbuckle, Ingrid Schechter
Translated by: Shameem Oozeerally and B
Reading level: ages 2–8 · preschool, kindergarten to 2nd grade · Level 1 · First words
From: Mauritius
Source: Global Storybooks
Licence: CC BY-NC 3.0
Price: Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

Santiman is a short illustrated picture book in Mauritian Creole by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi, illustrated by Kathy Arbuckle, Ingrid Schechter and translated by Shameem Oozeerally and B. 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 Mauritian Creole. 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 29 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).

How it begins

Mo leker resanti boukou kiksoz. Mo kontan kan mo granmer rakont nou zistwar aswar. Mo fer fol kan mo zwe ek mo kamarad. Mo santi mwa mal kan mo papa dir ki li pena kas. Mo kontan kan mo mama…

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. “Santiman” is also available in:

Reading together in Mauritian Creole

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 Mauritian Creole

See all 40 free Mauritian Creole books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩‍🏫 Assign this book to a class

Frequently asked questions

Is “Santiman” free to read?

Yes. “Santiman” 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 “Santiman” in?

It is written in Mauritian Creole. Pagine has 40 free children’s books in Mauritian Creole.

What age is “Santiman” for?

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

Is “Santiman” available in other languages?

Yes — the same story is in English, Kiswahili, Kikamba, Kimaasai, Turkana, Somali and more.

Who wrote “Santiman”?

“Santiman” was written by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi and illustrated by Kathy Arbuckle, Ingrid Schechter; the Mauritian Creole translation is by Shameem Oozeerally and B.

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Credits: Santiman — Written by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi; Illustrated by Kathy Arbuckle, Ingrid Schechter; Translated by Shameem Oozeerally and B.Ed French students. Mauritian Creole, Level 1. From Global Storybooks (global-asp.github.io/storybooks-mauritius), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=2884). CC BY-NC 3.0. · Page updated October 2026