PagineUMagozwe
A free picture book in Xhosa by Lesley Koyi
UMagozwe is a picture book in Xhosa for ages 8–11 by Lesley Koyi that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.
📖 Read it free →- Language
- Xhosa
- Written by
- Lesley Koyi
- Illustrated by
- Wiehan de Jager
- Translated by
- Kholeka Mabeta
- Reading level
- ages 8–11 · 3rd to 5th grade · Level 5 · Read aloud / independent
- From
- South Africa
- Source
- Global Storybooks
- Licence
- CC BY 4.0
- Price
- Free — read online, nothing to download
About this book
UMagozwe is a short illustrated picture book in Xhosa by Lesley Koyi, illustrated by Wiehan de Jager and translated by Kholeka Mabeta. It is written for ages 8–11 (Grades 4–5) and is graded as Level 5 · Read aloud / independent, so it works as a read-aloud for little ones and as practice for children learning to read in Xhosa. 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 28 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).
How it begins
Kwidolophukazi exakekileyo yaseNairobi, kude le nekhaya elinenkathalo, kwakuhlala iqela lamakhwenkwe angenakhaya. Babejongana nosuku ngalunye ngendlela oluze ngayo. Ngantsasa ithile la makhwenkwe ayesonga iingutyana zawo zokulala emva kokulala kwipavumente ebandayo. Babebasa umlilo ngenkukuma ukugxotha ingqele. Phakathi kwala makhwenkwe kwakukho inkwenkwe egama…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. “UMagozwe” is also available in:
- Asante Twi · Magozwe
- Bemba · Magozwe
- Dagaare · Magozwe
- Dagbani · Magozwe
- Dangme · Mokasa
- Ewe · Magozwe
- Fante · Magozwe
- Ga · Magozwe
- Gonja · Magozwe
- Jamaican Creole · Magozwe
- Kaonde · Magozwe
- Kasem · Magozwe
- Kiswahili · Magozwe
- Lukhonzo · Magozwe
- Lunda · Magozwe
- Luvale · Magozwe
- Mauritian Creole · Magozwe
- Nyanja · Magozwe
- Nzema · Magozwe
- Sepedi · Magozwe
- Sesotho · Magozwe
- Somali · Magozwe
- Spanish · Magozwe
- Tonga · Magozwe
- Tsonga · Mahewu
- Tswana · Magozwe
- Venda · Magozwe
- Zulu · UMagozwe
Reading together in Xhosa
- 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 Xhosa
Hawu-Hawu!
Ukubala izilwanyana
Umnakwethu Omncinci Olivila
UTingi kunye Nenkomo
Umbhongolo, Usana Olusisimanga
Ulilitha Noluniko Batyelela Umakhulu Wabo
Imozulu yam yangaphakathi
Amahlumelo Amancinci
See all 145 free Xhosa books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩🏫 Assign this book to a class
Frequently asked questions
Is “UMagozwe” free to read?
Yes. “UMagozwe” 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 “UMagozwe” in?
It is written in Xhosa. Pagine has 145 free children’s books in Xhosa.
What age is “UMagozwe” for?
It is best for ages 8–11 (Level 5 · Read aloud / independent). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.
Is “UMagozwe” available in other languages?
Yes — the same story is in Somali, Zulu, Sepedi, Tswana, Sesotho, Tsonga and more.
Who wrote “UMagozwe”?
“UMagozwe” was written by Lesley Koyi and illustrated by Wiehan de Jager; the Xhosa translation is by Kholeka Mabeta.
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Get the free app →Credits: UMagozwe — Written by Lesley Koyi; Illustrated by Wiehan de Jager; Translated by Kholeka Mabeta. Xhosa, Level 5. From Global Storybooks (southafricareads.org), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=13213). CC BY 4.0. · Page updated October 2026