Tom ya rekisang dipanana

A free picture book in Sesotho by Humphreys Odunga

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

📖 Read it free →

Language

Sesotho

Written by

Humphreys Odunga

Illustrated by

Zablon Alex Nguku

Translated by

Maria Vaz

Reading level

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

From

South Africa

Source

Global Storybooks

Licence

CC BY 4.0

Price

Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

Tom ya rekisang dipanana is a short illustrated picture book in Sesotho by Humphreys Odunga, illustrated by Zablon Alex Nguku and translated by Maria Vaz. 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 Sesotho. 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 jere setshelo sa dipapana tse butswitseng. Tom o ya mmarakeng ho ya rekisa dipanana. Batho mmarakeng ba reka ditholwana. Empa ha ho ya rekang dipanana tsa Tom. Ba kgetha ho reka dipanana ho batho ba bomme. Batho ba…

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 ya rekisang 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
• 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 Sesotho

• 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 Sesotho

• Mme, re ja eng bakeng sa dijo tsa motsheare?
• Mmoho re na le matla: Pale ya Albertina Sisulu
• Leano le leholo la Bohlwanyana
• Toro ya Graça
• Kgudu o fumana lehae la hae
• Mohlokomedi wa bookelo ba diphoofolo
• Maguru o fana ka maoto
• Ke rata ho etsa

See all 125 free Sesotho books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩‍🏫 Assign this book to a class

Frequently asked questions

Is “Tom ya rekisang dipanana” free to read?

Yes. “Tom ya rekisang 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 ya rekisang dipanana” in?

It is written in Sesotho. Pagine has 125 free children’s books in Sesotho.

What age is “Tom ya rekisang dipanana” for?

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

Is “Tom ya rekisang dipanana” available in other languages?

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

Who wrote “Tom ya rekisang dipanana”?

“Tom ya rekisang dipanana” was written by Humphreys Odunga and illustrated by Zablon Alex Nguku; the Sesotho translation is by Maria Vaz.

Track reading with the free Pagine app

Log books, set goals and build a daily reading habit — free on iOS, Android and the web.

Get the free app →

Credits: Tom ya rekisang dipanana — Written by Humphreys Odunga; Illustrated by Zablon Alex Nguku; Translated by Maria Vaz. Sesotho, 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