ǂÛdīs

Name: ǂÛdīs
Availability: InStock
Author: Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi

A free picture book in Khoekhoegowab by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi

Cover of ǂÛdīs, a Khoekhoegowab picture book

ǂÛdīs is a picture book in Khoekhoegowab for ages 2–8 by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.

📖 Read it free →

Language: Khoekhoegowab
Written by: Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi
Illustrated by: Kathy Arbuckle, Ingrid Schechter
Translated by: Ngeve Shangombe
Reading level: ages 2–8 · preschool, kindergarten to 2nd grade · Level 1 · First words
From: Namibia
Source: Global Storybooks
Licence: CC BY-NC 3.0
Price: Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

ǂÛdīs is a short illustrated picture book in Khoekhoegowab by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi, illustrated by Kathy Arbuckle, Ingrid Schechter and translated by Ngeve Shangombe. It is written for ages 2–8 (Nursery–Year 1) and is graded as Level 1 · First words, so it works as a read-aloud for little ones and as practice for children learning to read in Khoekhoegowab. The book comes from Global Storybooks and is shared under an open CC BY-NC 3.0 licence, which is why it is free to read. The same story is available in 30 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).

How it begins

Tita ge ǃaiade ra kora. Tita ge kolsa ra ǁara. Tita ge ǀariga ra lkhora. Tita ge bûinkina ra ǁāǀkhā. Tita ge papuna ra ǃgao. Tita ge ǁgâubena ra ǃgao. Ti mamas ge uina ra ǃgao. Uin ge tita ra…

Opening lines quoted from the openly licensed book (CC BY-NC 3.0).

This story in other languages

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

Reading together in Khoekhoegowab

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 Khoekhoegowab

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

Frequently asked questions

Is “ǂÛdīs” free to read?

Yes. “ǂÛdīs” 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-NC 3.0).

What language is “ǂÛdīs” in?

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

What age is “ǂÛdīs” for?

It is best for ages 2–8 (Level 1 · First words). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.

Is “ǂÛdīs” available in other languages?

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

Who wrote “ǂÛdīs”?

“ǂÛdīs” was written by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi and illustrated by Kathy Arbuckle, Ingrid Schechter; the Khoekhoegowab translation is by Ngeve Shangombe.

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Credits: ǂÛdīs — Written by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi; Illustrated by Kathy Arbuckle, Ingrid Schechter; Translated by Ngeve Shangombe. Khoekhoegowab, Level 1. From Global Storybooks (storybooksnamibia.net), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=2795). CC BY-NC 3.0. · Page updated October 2026