PagineTá Zama thar barr!
A free picture book in Irish by Michael Oguttu
Tá Zama thar barr! is a picture book in Irish for ages 5–8 by Michael Oguttu that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.
📖 Read it free →- Language
- Irish
- Written by
- Michael Oguttu
- Illustrated by
- Vusi Malindi
- Translated by
- Jacqueline de Brún
- Reading level
- ages 5–8 · kindergarten to 2nd grade · Level 2 · First sentences
- From
- Ireland
- Source
- Global Storybooks
- Licence
- CC BY 3.0
- Price
- Free — read online, nothing to download
About this book
Tá Zama thar barr! is a short illustrated picture book in Irish by Michael Oguttu, illustrated by Vusi Malindi and translated by Jacqueline de Brún. It is written for ages 5–8 (Grades 1–2) and is graded as Level 2 · First sentences, so it works as a read-aloud for little ones and as practice for children learning to read in Irish. 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 21 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).
How it begins
Fanann mo dheartháir beag sa leaba go mall ar maidin. Éirím go luath, mar tá mise thar barr! Is mise an duine a ligeann an ghrian isteach. “Is tú réalta na maidine,” arsa Mam. Ním mé féin, níl aon chabhair…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. “Tá Zama thar barr!” is also available in:
- Afrikaans · Zama is oulik!
- Bemba · Zama Alicenjela!
- English · Zama is great!
- Jamaican Creole · Zama a di bes!
- Kaonde · Zama Wakosa
- Khoekhoegowab · Zamas ge a ǂoaǂamsa
- Kiswahili · Zama ni mkubwa!
- Lukhonzo · Zama Niw’amani
- Lunda · Zama wang’ovu
- Luvale · Zama lyatwila!
- Mauritian Creole · Zama enn top!
- Nigerian Pidgin · Zana dey great!
- Nyanja · Zama ndi wamkulu
- Oshikwanyama · Zama omunandjungu
- Oshindonga · Zama ependafule!
- Otjiherero · Zama omusemba!
- Sesotho · Zama ya moholo
- Somali · Zama waa mid aad u wanaagsan!
- Spanish · ¡Zama es genial!
- Tonga · Zama Mukali!
- Tswana · Zama o godile.
Reading together in Irish
- 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 Irish
See all 8 free Irish books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩🏫 Assign this book to a class
Frequently asked questions
Is “Tá Zama thar barr!” free to read?
Yes. “Tá Zama thar barr!” 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 “Tá Zama thar barr!” in?
It is written in Irish. Pagine has 8 free children’s books in Irish.
What age is “Tá Zama thar barr!” for?
It is best for ages 5–8 (Level 2 · First sentences). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.
Is “Tá Zama thar barr!” available in other languages?
Yes — the same story is in English, Nigerian Pidgin, Kiswahili, Somali, Afrikaans, Tswana and more.
Who wrote “Tá Zama thar barr!”?
“Tá Zama thar barr!” was written by Michael Oguttu and illustrated by Vusi Malindi; the Irish translation is by Jacqueline de Brún.
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Get the free app →Credits: Tá Zama thar barr! — Written by Michael Oguttu; Illustrated by Vusi Malindi; Translated by Jacqueline de Brún; Read by Jacqueline de Brún. Irish, Level 2. From Global Storybooks (global-asp.github.io/storybooks-ireland), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=9984). CC BY 3.0. · Page updated October 2026