Tom, die piesangverkoper

A free picture book in Afrikaans by Humphreys Odunga

Tom, die piesangverkoper is a picture book in Afrikaans for ages 5–8 by Humphreys Odunga that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.

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Language

Afrikaans

Written by

Humphreys Odunga

Illustrated by

Zablon Alex Nguku

Translated by

Helena Vilonel

Reading level

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

From

South Africa, Namibia

Source

Global Storybooks

Licence

CC BY 4.0

Price

Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

Tom, die piesangverkoper is a short illustrated picture book in Afrikaans by Humphreys Odunga, illustrated by Zablon Alex Nguku and translated by Helena Vilonel. 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 Afrikaans. The book comes from Global Storybooks and is shared under an open CC BY 4.0 licence, which is why it is free to read. The same story is available in 22 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).

How it begins

Tom dra ‘n houer vol ryp piesangs. Tom gaan mark toe om die piesangs te verkoop. Mense by die mark koop die vrugte. Maar niemand koop Tom se piesangs nie. Hulle verkies om vrugte by vrouens te koop. “Net vrouens…

Opening lines quoted from the openly licensed book (CC BY 4.0).

This story in other languages

Reading the same story in two languages helps bilingual children connect words they already know. “Tom, die piesangverkoper” is also available in:

• Bemba · Tomu kashitisha wa nkonde
• English · Tom the banana seller
• Jamaican Creole · Taam Di Banaana-Man
• Kaonde · Tom Musulu Wamakonde
• Khoekhoegowab · Tommi banana ǁamaxū-aob
• Kiswahili · Tom muuza ndizi
• Lukhonzo · Tom omusuburi w’ameeru
• Lunda · Tom namukakulandisha makondi
• Lunyole · Tom omutundi w’amalafu
• Luvale · Tom mukakulanjisa makonde
• Mauritian Creole · Tom marsan banann
• Nyanja · Tom ogulitsa nthoci
• Oshikwanyama · Tom omulandifi womabanana
• Oshindonga · Tom omulandithi gwomambanana
• Otjiherero · Tom omurandise wovipanana
• Sesotho · Tom ya rekisang dipanana
• Somali · Tom muus iibiyaha
• Spanish · Tom, el vendedor de plátanos
• Swati · Themba umtsengisi wabhanana
• Tonga · Tom Sikusambala Mabbanana
• Tswana · Tom morekisi wa dipanana
• Xhosa · UTom, umthengisi webhanana

Reading together in Afrikaans

• 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 Afrikaans

• Mali se maat
• Mamma Bok se Huis
• Hoe gaan ons die koekies bykom?
• Rafiki se Styl
• Kom Terug, Kat!
• Eier
• Nangila se Dapperheid
• Hoender En Duisendpoot

See all 143 free Afrikaans books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩‍🏫 Assign this book to a class

Frequently asked questions

Is “Tom, die piesangverkoper” free to read?

Yes. “Tom, die piesangverkoper” 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 4.0).

What language is “Tom, die piesangverkoper” in?

It is written in Afrikaans. Pagine has 143 free children’s books in Afrikaans.

What age is “Tom, die piesangverkoper” for?

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

Is “Tom, die piesangverkoper” available in other languages?

Yes — the same story is in English, Kiswahili, Somali, Xhosa, Tswana, Sesotho and more.

Who wrote “Tom, die piesangverkoper”?

“Tom, die piesangverkoper” was written by Humphreys Odunga and illustrated by Zablon Alex Nguku; the Afrikaans translation is by Helena Vilonel.

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Credits: Tom, die piesangverkoper — Written by Humphreys Odunga; Illustrated by Zablon Alex Nguku; Translated by Helena Vilonel; Read by Helena Vilonel. Afrikaans, Level 2. From Global Storybooks (southafricareads.org), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=13627). CC BY 4.0. · Page updated October 2026