Tom muus iibiyaha

A free picture book in Somali by Humphreys Odunga

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

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Language

Somali

Written by

Humphreys Odunga

Illustrated by

Zablon Alex Nguku

Translated by

Anwar Mohamed Dirie

Reading level

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

From

Kenya

Source

Global Storybooks

Licence

CC BY 4.0

Price

Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

Tom muus iibiyaha is a short illustrated picture book in Somali by Humphreys Odunga, illustrated by Zablon Alex Nguku and translated by Anwar Mohamed Dirie. 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 Somali. 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 waxa uu sidaa masaf uu moos bisil ah. Tom waxa uu aadaa suuqa si uu moos u soo iibiyo Dadka suuqa joogaa waxa ay gadanayaan khudrad. Laakiin cidna gadanmayso mooska Tom. Waxa ay doorbidaan in ay khudradda ka soo…

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 muus iibiyaha” 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
• 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 Somali

• 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 Somali

• Anansi iyo xikmad
• Waxa ay Vusi walaashiis tiri
• Xayawaan tirin
• Labo
• Waa maxay sababta aysan jeerta ulahayn timo
• Nin aad u dheer
• Maalintii aan ka tagay guriga een magalada aaday
• Fasaxyadii lala joogay ayeeyo

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

Frequently asked questions

Is “Tom muus iibiyaha” free to read?

Yes. “Tom muus iibiyaha” 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 muus iibiyaha” in?

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

What age is “Tom muus iibiyaha” for?

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

Is “Tom muus iibiyaha” available in other languages?

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

Who wrote “Tom muus iibiyaha”?

“Tom muus iibiyaha” was written by Humphreys Odunga and illustrated by Zablon Alex Nguku; the Somali translation is by Anwar Mohamed Dirie.

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Credits: Tom muus iibiyaha — Written by Humphreys Odunga; Illustrated by Zablon Alex Nguku; Translated by Anwar Mohamed Dirie; Read by Ibrahim Ahmed. Somali, Level 2. From Global Storybooks (global-asp.github.io/storybooks-kenya), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=13627). CC BY 4.0. · Page updated October 2026