Simbegwire

A free picture book in Luvale by Rukia Nantale

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

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Language

Luvale

Written by

Rukia Nantale

Illustrated by

Benjamin Mitchley

Translated by

Kaloza Masho

Reading level

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

From

Zambia

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 Luvale by Rukia Nantale, illustrated by Benjamin Mitchley and translated by Kaloza Masho. 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 Luvale. 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

Omu naye ya Simbegwire afwile, alinyengele chikuma. Ise ya Simbegwire alingile mwose ahashile kulinga mangana alame mwanenyi waphwevo. Chindende chindende, valilongesele mwakwivwila kanawa Cheka, chakuzeneka naye ya Simbegwire. Chimene hichimene vatwamine nakuhanjika halikumbi nalihatamo. Chingoloshi hichingoloshi valongesele vyakulya hamwe. Kukumisa…

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
• Mauritian Creole · Simbegwire
• Nyanja · Simbegwire
• Somali · Simbegwire
• Spanish · Simbegwire
• Tonga · Simbegwire
• Tswana · Simbegwire

Reading together in Luvale

• 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 Luvale

• Makumbi akunokha nakhaka waphwevo
• Tala tunyama
• Uli nakulinga ika?
• Kusakula
• Mwana Chimbulu
• Mwaso wa Sakima
• Kulava tunyama
• Avali

See all 40 free Luvale 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 Luvale. Pagine has 40 free children’s books in Luvale.

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 Luvale translation is by Kaloza Masho.

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Credits: Simbegwire — Written by Rukia Nantale; Illustrated by Benjamin Mitchley; Translated by Kaloza Masho. Luvale, Level 5. From Global Storybooks (storybookszambia.net), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=7068). CC BY 3.0. · Page updated October 2026