Simbegwire

A free picture book in Mauritian Creole by Rukia Nantale

Simbegwire is a picture book in Mauritian 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

Mauritian Creole

Written by

Rukia Nantale

Illustrated by

Benjamin Mitchley

Translated by

Shameem Oozeerally & MIE French Students

Reading level

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

From

Mauritius

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 Mauritian Creole by Rukia Nantale, illustrated by Benjamin Mitchley and translated by Shameem Oozeerally & MIE French Students. 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 Mauritian 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

Kan mama Simbegwire finn mor, li ti bien tris. So papa finn sey tou so posib pou pran swin so tifi. Dousman dousman, zot finn aprann kouma pou santi zot ere san mama Simbegwire. Sak gramatin, zot asize et diskit…

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

Reading together in Mauritian 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 Mauritian Creole

• Zanfan-Bourik
• Sakima so sante
• Anou kont zanimo
• De
• Kifer ban ipopotam pena pwal ?
• Andiswa, gran zwer foutborl
• Poul ek Leg
• Banann granmer

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

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 Mauritian Creole translation is by Shameem Oozeerally & MIE French Students.

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Credits: Simbegwire — Written by Rukia Nantale; Illustrated by Benjamin Mitchley; Translated by Shameem Oozeerally & MIE French Students. Mauritian Creole, Level 5. From Global Storybooks (global-asp.github.io/storybooks-mauritius), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=7068). CC BY 3.0. · Page updated October 2026