Tingi N’esyande

A free picture book in Lukhonzo by Ingrid Schechter

Tingi N’esyande is a picture book in Lukhonzo for ages 5–8 by Ingrid Schechter that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.

📖 Read it free →

Language

Lukhonzo

Written by

Ingrid Schechter

Illustrated by

Ingrid Schechter

Translated by

Amos Mubunga Kambere

Reading level

ages 5–8 · kindergarten to 2nd grade · Level 2 · First sentences

From

Uganda

Source

Global Storybooks

Licence

CC BY 3.0

Price

Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

Tingi N’esyande is a short illustrated picture book in Lukhonzo by Ingrid Schechter, illustrated by Ingrid Schechter and translated by Amos Mubunga Kambere. 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 Lukhonzo. 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 abyikere namukaka wiwe. Inyakalisaya e’syande. Kiro kiwuma abasirikali mubasa. Mubaheka esy’ande syosi. Tingi banamuka wiwe mubathibitha neriyabisama. Mubabisama omwakisuki erihika omwakiro. Kandi abasirikali mubasubulha. Omukekulhu mwabisa Tingi yomwabithi. Omusirikale muwuma mwalyathira Tingi okwakisando, kyonga Tingi mwayihunira, mwathayiseghania. Obuholho bwabere…

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 N’esyande” 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
• 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
• Tonga · Tingi Aŋombe
• Tswana · Tingi le dikgomo
• Xhosa · UTingi kunye Nenkomo
• Zulu · Utingi

Reading together in Lukhonzo

• 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 Lukhonzo

• Akangyangwa kayi kalihayi?
• Khalai akakanaya n’ebirimwa
• Erihera embutho: Omwatsi wa Wangari Maathai
• Erithuhulia ly’omunyabukyi
• Eriyowa
• Ekitabu ky’obuthuku
• Abana b’enimba
• Zama Niw’amani

See all 40 free Lukhonzo books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩‍🏫 Assign this book to a class

Frequently asked questions

Is “Tingi N’esyande” free to read?

Yes. “Tingi N’esyande” 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 N’esyande” in?

It is written in Lukhonzo. Pagine has 40 free children’s books in Lukhonzo.

What age is “Tingi N’esyande” for?

It is best for ages 5–8 (Level 2 · First sentences). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.

Is “Tingi N’esyande” available in other languages?

Yes — the same story is in English, Nigerian Pidgin, Kiswahili, Somali, Zulu, Xhosa and more.

Who wrote “Tingi N’esyande”?

“Tingi N’esyande” was written by Ingrid Schechter and illustrated by Ingrid Schechter; the Lukhonzo translation is by Amos Mubunga Kambere.

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: Tingi N’esyande — Written by Ingrid Schechter; Illustrated by Ingrid Schechter; Translated by Amos Mubunga Kambere. Lukhonzo, Level 2. From Global Storybooks (global-asp.github.io/storybooks-uganda), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=7441). CC BY 3.0. · Page updated October 2026