Tingi na ng’ombe

A free picture book in Kiswahili by Ingrid Schechter

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

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Language

Kiswahili

Written by

Ingrid Schechter

Illustrated by

Ingrid Schechter

Translated by

Matteo E

Reading level

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

From

Kenya

Source

Global Storybooks

Licence

CC BY 3.0

Price

Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

Tingi na ng’ombe is a short illustrated picture book in Kiswahili by Ingrid Schechter, illustrated by Ingrid Schechter and translated by Matteo E. 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 Kiswahili. 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 aliishi na bibi yake. Alizoea kuchunga ng’ombe na bibi yake. Siku moja wanajeshi walikuja. Wakawachukua ng’ombe. Tingi na bibi yake walikimbia na kujificha. Walijificha kichakani hadi usiku. Wanajeshi walirudi tena. Bibi alimficha Tingi chini ya majani. Mwanajeshi mmoja alimkanyaga,…

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 na ng’ombe” 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
• 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
• Tonga · Tingi Aŋombe
• Tswana · Tingi le dikgomo
• Xhosa · UTingi kunye Nenkomo
• Zulu · Utingi

Reading together in Kiswahili

• 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 Kiswahili

• Mtoto wa Tembo Mdadisi
• Siafu amwokoa Njiwa
• Barua kwa Mama
• Ninapenda Kusoma
• Wangari Maathai
• Mamba mwenye njaa
• Kupika
• Adhabu

See all 100 free Kiswahili books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩‍🏫 Assign this book to a class

Frequently asked questions

Is “Tingi na ng’ombe” free to read?

Yes. “Tingi na ng’ombe” 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 na ng’ombe” in?

It is written in Kiswahili. Pagine has 100 free children’s books in Kiswahili.

What age is “Tingi na ng’ombe” for?

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

Is “Tingi na ng’ombe” available in other languages?

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

Who wrote “Tingi na ng’ombe”?

“Tingi na ng’ombe” was written by Ingrid Schechter and illustrated by Ingrid Schechter; the Kiswahili translation is by Matteo E.

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Credits: Tingi na ng’ombe — Written by Ingrid Schechter; Illustrated by Ingrid Schechter; Translated by Matteo E. Mwita; Read by Lauwo George. Kiswahili, Level 2. From Global Storybooks (global-asp.github.io/storybooks-kenya), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=7441). CC BY 3.0. · Page updated October 2026