Simbegwire

A free picture book in Somali by Rukia Nantale

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

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Language

Somali

Written by

Rukia Nantale

Illustrated by

Benjamin Mitchley

Translated by

Abdi Muse

Reading level

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

From

Kenya

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 Somali by Rukia Nantale, illustrated by Benjamin Mitchley and translated by Abdi Muse. 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 Somali. 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

Markay Simbegwire hooyadeed dhimatay waxay ahayd mid aad u murugaysan. Simbegwire aabaheed waxuu sameeyay sida ugu fiican oo daryeelka gabadhiisa. Si tartiib ah waxay barteen in ay darreemaan farxad markale, la aanta simbegwire hooyadeed. Subax kasta waa ay fadhiistan kana…

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

Reading together in Somali

• 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 Somali

• Tom muus iibiyaha
• Ri, Eey iyo Sac
• Nozibele iyo saddexdii timo
• Waxaan jeclahay in aan aqriyo!
• Timo
• Jirkeyga
• Kalaay waxay la hadashaa dhirta
• Mir yar: Sheekadii Wangari Mathaay

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

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, Afrikaans, Tswana, Lukhonzo, Lunyole and more.

Who wrote “Simbegwire”?

“Simbegwire” was written by Rukia Nantale and illustrated by Benjamin Mitchley; the Somali translation is by Abdi Muse.

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