PagineUmhobholo
A free picture book in Zulu by Adelheid Marie Bwire
Umhobholo is a picture book in Zulu for ages 5–8 by Adelheid Marie Bwire that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.
📖 Read it free →- Language
- Zulu
- Written by
- Adelheid Marie Bwire
- Illustrated by
- Melany Pietersen
- Reading level
- ages 5–8 · kindergarten to 2nd grade · Level 2 · First sentences
- From
- South Africa
- Source
- Global Storybooks
- Licence
- CC BY 3.0
- Price
- Free — read online, nothing to download
About this book
Umhobholo is a short illustrated picture book in Zulu by Adelheid Marie Bwire, illustrated by Melany Pietersen. 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 Zulu. The book comes from Global Storybooks and is shared under an open CC BY 3.0 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
Ugogo usiphathele izithelo emakhethe. Izithelo ziconsisa amathe. Umfowethu uVusi akakwazanga ukuzibamba. Waqala ngokudla ubhanana. Hhayi bo! Ubani olume izithelo wazishiya? Wathukuthela wafa ugogo. Wathetha! Mina no Jabu sisola ukuthi nguVusi. UJabu watshela ugogo ukuthi sisola uVusi. Ugogo wambuza uVusi, wavuma…Opening lines quoted from the openly licensed book (CC BY 3.0).
This story in other languages
Reading the same story in two languages helps bilingual children connect words they already know. “Umhobholo” is also available in:
- Afrikaans · Straf
- Bemba · Ukukandwa
- Jamaican Creole · Ponishment
- Kaonde · Kukambula
- Khoekhoegowab · ǁKharab
- Kiswahili · Adhabu
- Luganda · Ekibonerezo
- Lukhonzo · Ekifubiro
- Lunda · Kubabesha
- Luvale · Kuzangamisa
- Mauritian Creole · Pinision
- Nyanja · Cilango
- Oshikwanyama · Ehandukilo
- Oshindonga · Egeelo
- Otjiherero · Omberero
- Sesotho · Kotlo
- Somali · Ciqaab
- South Ndebele · Isijeziso sakaThemba
- Spanish · Castigo
- Tonga · Cisubulo
- Tswana · Katlholo
- Xhosa · Isihlwayo
Reading together in Zulu
- 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 Zulu
Kumele kube nothingo lwenkosazana
Umgwaqo Omusha
Woza Mvula
Izinwele zami ezikhethekile
Ngiculele
Iphupho lami ediloweni
Umngani kaMali
Umshado wenhlanzi nenkukhu
See all 145 free Zulu books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩🏫 Assign this book to a class
Frequently asked questions
Is “Umhobholo” free to read?
Yes. “Umhobholo” 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 3.0).
What language is “Umhobholo” in?
It is written in Zulu. Pagine has 145 free children’s books in Zulu.
What age is “Umhobholo” for?
It is best for ages 5–8 (Level 2 · First sentences). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.
Is “Umhobholo” available in other languages?
Yes — the same story is in Kiswahili, Somali, Xhosa, Afrikaans, Tswana, Sesotho and more.
Who wrote “Umhobholo”?
“Umhobholo” was written by Adelheid Marie Bwire and illustrated by Melany Pietersen.
Log books, set goals and build a daily reading habit — free on iOS, Android and the web.
Get the free app →Credits: Umhobholo — Written by Adelheid Marie Bwire; Illustrated by Melany Pietersen; Read by Beauty Ngwenya. Zulu, Level 2. From Global Storybooks (southafricareads.org), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=11989). CC BY 3.0. · Page updated October 2026