Umondli Nombali Bavakashela Ugogo Wabo

Name: Umondli Nombali Bavakashela Ugogo Wabo
Availability: InStock
Author: Violet Otieno

A free picture book in Zulu by Violet Otieno

Cover of Umondli Nombali Bavakashela Ugogo Wabo, a Zulu picture book

Umondli Nombali Bavakashela Ugogo Wabo is a picture book in Zulu for ages 8–11 by Violet Otieno that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.

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Language: Zulu
Written by: Violet Otieno
Illustrated by: Catherine Groenewald
Translated by: Pumla Mdontswa
Reading level: ages 8–11 · 3rd to 5th grade · Level 4 · Longer paragraphs
From: South Africa
Source: Global Storybooks
Licence: CC BY 4.0
Price: Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

Umondli Nombali Bavakashela Ugogo Wabo is a short illustrated picture book in Zulu by Violet Otieno, illustrated by Catherine Groenewald and translated by Pumla Mdontswa. It is written for ages 8–11 (Grades 3–4) and is graded as Level 4 · Longer paragraphs, 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 4.0 licence, which is why it is free to read. The same story is available in 21 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).

How it begins

UMondli noMbali babehlala edolobheni nobaba wabo. Babekujabulela ukuvalwa kwezikole ngoba babezovakashela ugogo wabo. Phela ugogo wayehlala kwesinye isigodi esasinedamu elikhulu lapho kwakudotshwa khona izinhlanzi. Abantu bakule ndawo babekhonzile ukudoba. UMondli-ke babejabule kakhulu kulokhu ngoba nabo ngalesi sikhathi, babezovakashela ugogo wabo…

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. “Umondli Nombali Bavakashela Ugogo Wabo” is also available in:

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

See all 145 free Zulu books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩‍🏫 Assign this book to a class

Frequently asked questions

Is “Umondli Nombali Bavakashela Ugogo Wabo” free to read?

Yes. “Umondli Nombali Bavakashela Ugogo Wabo” 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 “Umondli Nombali Bavakashela Ugogo Wabo” in?

It is written in Zulu. Pagine has 145 free children’s books in Zulu.

What age is “Umondli Nombali Bavakashela Ugogo Wabo” for?

It is best for ages 8–11 (Level 4 · Longer paragraphs). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.

Is “Umondli Nombali Bavakashela Ugogo Wabo” available in other languages?

Yes — the same story is in Turkana, Somali, Xhosa, Sepedi, Tswana, Tsonga and more.

Who wrote “Umondli Nombali Bavakashela Ugogo Wabo”?

“Umondli Nombali Bavakashela Ugogo Wabo” was written by Violet Otieno and illustrated by Catherine Groenewald; the Zulu translation is by Pumla Mdontswa.

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Credits: Umondli Nombali Bavakashela Ugogo Wabo — Written by Violet Otieno; Illustrated by Catherine Groenewald; Translated by Pumla Mdontswa; Read by Beauty Ngwenya. Zulu, Level 4. From Global Storybooks (southafricareads.org), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=12084). CC BY 4.0. · Page updated October 2026