Simbegwire

A free picture book in Nyanja by Rukia Nantale

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

📖 Read it free →

Language

Nyanja

Written by

Rukia Nantale

Illustrated by

Benjamin Mitchley

Translated by

Fredrick Mapulanga

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 Nyanja by Rukia Nantale, illustrated by Benjamin Mitchley and translated by Fredrick Mapulanga. 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 Nyanja. 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

Pamene amai a Simbegwire anamwalila, anakhala wacisoni kwambili. Abambo a Simbegwire adacita zothekela zonse kusamalila mwana wawo wamkazi. Pang’ono-pang’ono, adaphunzilanso kusangalalanso, popanda amai a Simbegwire. M’mawa mulimonse amakhala ndikulankhula za tsiku la mawa. Madzulo mulimonse ankadyela pamodzi cakudya camadzulo. Atatsuka…

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

Reading together in Nyanja

• 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 Nyanja

• Nozibele ndi Tsitsi itatu
• Ngalawa ya Sara
• Fati ndi Mtengo wa Uchi
• Kulemala Sikulepela
• Kuimba mu mvula
• Mvetserani ku za mthupi mwanga
• Savana wapanga nyimbo
• Chonde mwetulira!

See all 105 free Nyanja 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 Nyanja. Pagine has 105 free children’s books in Nyanja.

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 Nyanja translation is by Fredrick Mapulanga.

Track reading with the free Pagine app

Log books, set goals and build a daily reading habit — free on iOS, Android and the web.

Get the free app →

Credits: Simbegwire — Written by Rukia Nantale; Illustrated by Benjamin Mitchley; Translated by Fredrick Mapulanga; Read by Christine Mwanza. Nyanja, 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