Simbegwire

A free picture book in Spanish by Rukia Nantale

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

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Language

Spanish

Written by

Rukia Nantale

Illustrated by

Benjamin Mitchley

Translated by

Karina Vásquez

Reading level

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

Source

Global Storybooks

Licence

CC BY 3.0

Price

Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

Simbegwire is a short illustrated picture book in Spanish by Rukia Nantale, illustrated by Benjamin Mitchley and translated by Karina Vásquez. 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 Spanish. 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

Cuando la madre de Simbegwire murió, ella estaba muy triste. El padre de Simbegwire hizo lo mejor que pudo para cuidar de su hija. Lentamente, aprendieron a ser felices de nuevo, sin la madre de Simbegwire. Cada mañana, se sentaban…

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. “Simbegwire” is also available in:

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

Reading together in Spanish

• 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 Spanish

• La decisión
• El Niño Burro
• La canción de Sakima
• Contando animales
• Dos
• ¿Por qué los hipopótamos no tienen pelo?
• Andiswa, la estrella de fútbol
• La Gallina y el Águila

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

Frequently asked questions

Is “Simbegwire” free to read?

Yes. “Simbegwire” 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 “Simbegwire” in?

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

What age is “Simbegwire” for?

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

Is “Simbegwire” available in other languages?

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

Who wrote “Simbegwire”?

“Simbegwire” was written by Rukia Nantale and illustrated by Benjamin Mitchley; the Spanish translation is by Karina Vásquez.

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Credits: Simbegwire — Written by Rukia Nantale; Illustrated by Benjamin Mitchley; Translated by Karina Vásquez; Read by Áurea Vericat. Spanish, Level 5. From Global Storybooks (global-asp.github.io/storybooks-dc), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=7068). CC BY 3.0. · Page updated October 2026