Simbegwiere

A free picture book in Jamaican Creole by Rukia Nantale

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

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Language

Jamaican Creole

Written by

Rukia Nantale

Illustrated by

Benjamin Mitchley

Translated by

Georgette McGlashen

Reading level

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

From

Jamaica

Source

Global Storybooks

Licence

CC BY 3.0

Price

Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

Simbegwiere is a short illustrated picture book in Jamaican Creole by Rukia Nantale, illustrated by Benjamin Mitchley and translated by Georgette McGlashen. 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 Jamaican Creole. 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

Wen Simbegwiere mada did ded, shi did sad-sad. Simbegwiere faada did du im bes fi tek kier a im daata. Likl bai likl, dem lorn fi fiil api agen, wid out Simbegwiere mada. Evri maanin dem siddong an taak bout…

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. “Simbegwiere” is also available in:

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

Reading together in Jamaican 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 Jamaican Creole

• Wahn taal-taal man
• Di Die Mi Lef Mi Yaad Fi Go Toun
• Alidie wid Granmaa
• Luk Pan Di Animal Dem
• Wa yu a du?
• Disizhan
• Dangki Pikni
• Sakiima Sang

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

Frequently asked questions

Is “Simbegwiere” free to read?

Yes. “Simbegwiere” 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 “Simbegwiere” in?

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

What age is “Simbegwiere” for?

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

Is “Simbegwiere” available in other languages?

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

Who wrote “Simbegwiere”?

“Simbegwiere” was written by Rukia Nantale and illustrated by Benjamin Mitchley; the Jamaican Creole translation is by Georgette McGlashen.

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