Tom morekisi wa dipanana

A free picture book in Tswana by Humphreys Odunga

Tom morekisi wa dipanana is a picture book in Tswana for ages 5–8 by Humphreys Odunga that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.

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Language

Tswana

Written by

Humphreys Odunga

Illustrated by

Zablon Alex Nguku

Translated by

Antonia Madi

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 morekisi wa dipanana is a short illustrated picture book in Tswana by Humphreys Odunga, illustrated by Zablon Alex Nguku and translated by Antonia Madi. 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 Tswana. 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 o tseile seroto sa dipanana tse di budileng. Tom o ya kwa marekisetsong go rekisa dipanana. Batho kwa marekisetsong ba reka maungo. Ga go ope yo o rekang dipanana tsa ga Tom. Ba batla go reka maungo a mosadi.…

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 morekisi wa dipanana” is also available in:

• Afrikaans · Tom, die piesangverkoper
• 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
• Xhosa · UTom, umthengisi webhanana

Reading together in Tswana

• 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 Tswana

• Ngwana wa setshwano sa tonki
• Pina ya ga Sakima
• Mazi o Ithuta go Tshameka!
• Dithunya tse di Nnye
• Didikwe
• Dumela
• Bora yo o Pelokgale
• Ee o ka kgona!

See all 103 free Tswana books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩‍🏫 Assign this book to a class

Frequently asked questions

Is “Tom morekisi wa dipanana” free to read?

Yes. “Tom morekisi wa dipanana” 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 morekisi wa dipanana” in?

It is written in Tswana. Pagine has 103 free children’s books in Tswana.

What age is “Tom morekisi wa dipanana” for?

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

Is “Tom morekisi wa dipanana” available in other languages?

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

Who wrote “Tom morekisi wa dipanana”?

“Tom morekisi wa dipanana” was written by Humphreys Odunga and illustrated by Zablon Alex Nguku; the Tswana translation is by Antonia Madi.

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Credits: Tom morekisi wa dipanana — Written by Humphreys Odunga; Illustrated by Zablon Alex Nguku; Translated by Antonia Madi. Tswana, 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