Simbegwire

A free picture book in Lunda by Rukia Nantale

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

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Language

Lunda

Written by

Rukia Nantale

Illustrated by

Benjamin Mitchley

Translated by

Oscar Zangata

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 Lunda by Rukia Nantale, illustrated by Benjamin Mitchley and translated by Oscar Zangata. 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 Lunda. 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

Chafwiliyi mama ya Simbegwire wadin’ga wataminina. Tata ya simbegwire welili zhezhima kulonda mwanindi wamubanda ekali chachiwahi. Chanti-chanti atachikili kwikala chiwahi chen’gi nakuwahilila chakadi mama ya Simbegwire. Intetemena yidi yezhima adin’ga nakuhosha hefuku idikwinzahu. Melela adi ezhima adin’ga nakuwayisha yakuda mwayedi…

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
• Lunyole · Sibahwana
• Luvale · Simbegwire
• Mauritian Creole · Simbegwire
• Nyanja · Simbegwire
• Somali · Simbegwire
• Spanish · Simbegwire
• Tonga · Simbegwire
• Tswana · Simbegwire

Reading together in Lunda

• 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 Lunda

• Insuki
• Muzhimba wami
• Khalai wahoshan’ga na zhimbutu
• Kambuntu kakanyanya: insan’gu ya Wangari Maathai.
• Inkoku ya kazhila kawichi
• Kesi
• Mwanyikami wamunyanya wakatala
• Tingi nawa ng’ombi

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

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 Lunda translation is by Oscar Zangata.

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Credits: Simbegwire — Written by Rukia Nantale; Illustrated by Benjamin Mitchley; Translated by Oscar Zangata. Lunda, 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