PagineTingi ne ŋombe
A free picture book in Bemba by Ingrid Schechter
Tingi ne ŋombe is a picture book in Bemba for ages 5–8 by Ingrid Schechter that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.
📖 Read it free →- Language
- Bemba
- Written by
- Ingrid Schechter
- Illustrated by
- Ingrid Schechter
- Translated by
- Stephen Zulu
- 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 ne ŋombe is a short illustrated picture book in Bemba by Ingrid Schechter, illustrated by Ingrid Schechter and translated by Stephen Zulu. 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 Bemba. 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 aaleikala na banakulu. Aaleafwa banakulu ukucema iŋombe. Ubushiku bumo abashilika balishile. Baasendele iŋombe no kuya nasho. Tingi na banakulu baalibutwike babelama. Baabeleme mu mpanga mpaka bwaila. Abashilika balishile na kabili. Banakulu baafishile Tingi panshi ya mabuula. Umushilika umo aanyantile…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 ne ŋombe” is also available in:
- Afrikaans · Tingi en die koeie
- 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
- Tonga · Tingi Aŋombe
- Tswana · Tingi le dikgomo
- Xhosa · UTingi kunye Nenkomo
- Zulu · Utingi
Reading together in Bemba
- 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 Bemba
Simbegwire
Mona Inama
Finshi Uleecita?
Ukukandwa
Anansi na Maano
Ifyalandile nkashi yakwa Vusi
Ukupenda Inama
Tubili
See all 40 free Bemba books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩🏫 Assign this book to a class
Frequently asked questions
Is “Tingi ne ŋombe” free to read?
Yes. “Tingi ne ŋombe” 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 ne ŋombe” in?
It is written in Bemba. Pagine has 40 free children’s books in Bemba.
What age is “Tingi ne ŋombe” for?
It is best for ages 5–8 (Level 2 · First sentences). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.
Is “Tingi ne ŋombe” available in other languages?
Yes — the same story is in English, Nigerian Pidgin, Kiswahili, Somali, Zulu, Xhosa and more.
Who wrote “Tingi ne ŋombe”?
“Tingi ne ŋombe” was written by Ingrid Schechter and illustrated by Ingrid Schechter; the Bemba translation is by Stephen Zulu.
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Get the free app →Credits: Tingi ne ŋombe — Written by Ingrid Schechter; Illustrated by Ingrid Schechter; Translated by Stephen Zulu. Bemba, 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