PagineTingi Aŋombe
A free picture book in Tonga by Ingrid Schechter
Tingi Aŋombe is a picture book in Tonga for ages 5–8 by Ingrid Schechter that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.
📖 Read it free →- Language
- Tonga
- Written by
- Ingrid Schechter
- Illustrated by
- Ingrid Schechter
- Translated by
- Nchimunya Kanyemba
- Reading level
- ages 5–8 · kindergarten to 2nd grade · Level 2 · First sentences
- From
- Zambia
- Source
- Global Storybooks
- Licence
- CC BY 3.0
- Price
- Free — read online, nothing to download
About this book
Tingi Aŋombe is a short illustrated picture book in Tonga by Ingrid Schechter, illustrated by Ingrid Schechter and translated by Nchimunya Kanyemba. 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 Tonga. 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 27 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).
How it begins
Tingi wakali kukkala abaneene bakwe. Antoomwe abanene bakwe, bakali kuzilanganya ŋombe. Bumwi buzuba kwakasika basikalumamba. Basikalumamba bakazibinga ŋombe akuzyitola. Tingi abaneene bakwe bakatija akuya kuyuba. Bakaliyubide musyokwe limwi kwasiya. Basikalumamba bakajoka alimwi. Baneene bakamusisa Tingi kunsi amatuvwu. Umwi wabasikalumamba wakalyata…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. “Tingi Aŋombe” is also available in:
- Afrikaans · Tingi en die koeie
- Bemba · Tingi ne ŋombe
- English · Tingi and the cows
- Ga · Tingi kɛ tsinai lɛ
- Jamaican Creole · Tinggi an di Kou
- Kaonde · Tingi ne Bañombe
- Khoekhoegowab · Tingib tsî gomadi
- Kigogo · Tingi na ng’ombe
- Kiswahili · Tingi na ng’ombe
- Luganda · Tingi n’ente
- Lukhonzo · Tingi N’esyande
- Lunda · Tingi nawa ng’ombi
- Luvale · Tingi navangombe
- Mauritian Creole · Tingi ek bann vas
- Nigerian Pidgin · Tingi and cows
- Nyanja · Tingi ndi ng’ombe
- Oshikwanyama · Tingi neengobe
- Oshindonga · Tingi noongombe
- Otjiherero · Tingi nozongombe
- Rutooro · Tingi N’Ente
- Sesotho · Tingi le dikgomo
- Somali · Tingi iyo lo’dii
- South Ndebele · UBongani neenkomo
- Spanish · Tingi y las vacas
- Tswana · Tingi le dikgomo
- Xhosa · UTingi kunye Nenkomo
- Zulu · Utingi
Reading together in Tonga
- 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 Tonga
Cizyole ca Ngede
Kulimvwa
Bbuku Lyabweende Bwaluwo
Bana Babunzuka
Zama Mukali!
Nkuku a Joongolo
Simbegwire
Kolanga Banyama
See all 40 free Tonga books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩🏫 Assign this book to a class
Frequently asked questions
Is “Tingi Aŋombe” free to read?
Yes. “Tingi Aŋombe” 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 “Tingi Aŋombe” in?
It is written in Tonga. Pagine has 40 free children’s books in Tonga.
What age is “Tingi Aŋombe” for?
It is best for ages 5–8 (Level 2 · First sentences). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.
Is “Tingi Aŋombe” available in other languages?
Yes — the same story is in English, Nigerian Pidgin, Kiswahili, Somali, Zulu, Xhosa and more.
Who wrote “Tingi Aŋombe”?
“Tingi Aŋombe” was written by Ingrid Schechter and illustrated by Ingrid Schechter; the Tonga translation is by Nchimunya Kanyemba.
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Get the free app →Credits: Tingi Aŋombe — Written by Ingrid Schechter; Illustrated by Ingrid Schechter; Translated by Nchimunya Kanyemba. Tonga, Level 2. From Global Storybooks (storybookszambia.net), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=7441). CC BY 3.0. · Page updated October 2026