Sibahwana

A free picture book in Lunyole by Rukia Nantale

Sibahwana is a picture book in Lunyole for ages 8–11 by Rukia Nantale that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.

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Language

Lunyole

Written by

Rukia Nantale

Illustrated by

Benjamin Mitchley

Translated by

Enoch Wandera

Reading level

ages 8–11 · 3rd to 5th grade · Level 5 · Read aloud / independent

From

Uganda

Source

Global Storybooks

Licence

CC BY 3.0

Price

Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

Sibahwana is a short illustrated picture book in Lunyole by Rukia Nantale, illustrated by Benjamin Mitchley and translated by Enoch Wandera. It is written for ages 8–11 (Grades 4–5) and is graded as Level 5 · Read aloud / independent, so it works as a read-aloud for little ones and as practice for children learning to read in Lunyole. 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 15 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).

How it begins

Sibahwana gaali muhaana muŋoono ate ow’ehisa. Olufanyuma lwa nyina ohufa, Sibahwana gaali munakuŋafu nyo. Cooka geega ohumenya ni semwana. Hiisi mugamba banywanga caayi era baaloma hu bibanahahole hu lunaku olulondaho. Era hiisi hy’egulo ganyiyanga emere ey’ehyegulo era nga goosa esaani.…

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. “Sibahwana” is also available in:

• Afrikaans · Simbegwire
• Bemba · Simbegwire
• English · Simbegwire
• Jamaican Creole · Simbegwiere
• Kaonde · Simbegwire
• Kiswahili · Simbegwire
• Lukhonzo · Simbegwire
• Lunda · Simbegwire
• Luvale · Simbegwire
• Mauritian Creole · Simbegwire
• Nyanja · Simbegwire
• Somali · Simbegwire
• Spanish · Simbegwire
• Tonga · Simbegwire
• Tswana · Simbegwire

Reading together in Lunyole

• 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 Lunyole

• Omuliro
• Ekapa yange yiri ŋeena?
• Omulagiriri w’aŋali omudungere n’omwegalulo gugwe
• Efiiri
• Omusinde omuleeŋi obugali
• Weŋulira otye?
• Ohola hiina?
• Nanjoosi n’efiiri edatu

See all 19 free Lunyole books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩‍🏫 Assign this book to a class

Frequently asked questions

Is “Sibahwana” free to read?

Yes. “Sibahwana” 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 “Sibahwana” in?

It is written in Lunyole. Pagine has 19 free children’s books in Lunyole.

What age is “Sibahwana” for?

It is best for ages 8–11 (Level 5 · Read aloud / independent). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.

Is “Sibahwana” available in other languages?

Yes — the same story is in English, Kiswahili, Somali, Afrikaans, Tswana, Lukhonzo and more.

Who wrote “Sibahwana”?

“Sibahwana” was written by Rukia Nantale and illustrated by Benjamin Mitchley; the Lunyole translation is by Enoch Wandera.

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Credits: Sibahwana — Written by Rukia Nantale; Illustrated by Benjamin Mitchley; Translated by Enoch Wandera. Lunyole, Level 5. From Global Storybooks (global-asp.github.io/storybooks-uganda), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=7068). CC BY 3.0. · Page updated October 2026