uNozibele kanye nezinwele ezintathu

Name: uNozibele kanye nezinwele ezintathu
Availability: InStock
Author: Tessa Welch

A free picture book in Zulu by Tessa Welch

Cover of uNozibele kanye nezinwele ezintathu, a Zulu picture book

uNozibele kanye nezinwele ezintathu is a picture book in Zulu for ages 5–11 by Tessa Welch that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.

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Language: Zulu
Written by: Tessa Welch
Illustrated by: Wiehan de Jager
Translated by: Zimbili Dlamini, Phumy Zikode
Reading level: ages 5–11 · kindergarten to 2nd grade, 3rd to 5th grade · Level 3 · First paragraphs
From: South Africa
Source: Global Storybooks
Licence: CC BY 3.0
Price: Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

uNozibele kanye nezinwele ezintathu is a short illustrated picture book in Zulu by Tessa Welch, illustrated by Wiehan de Jager and translated by Zimbili Dlamini, Phumy Zikode. It is written for ages 5–11 (Grades 2–3) and is graded as Level 3 · First 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 3.0 licence, which is why it is free to read. The same story is available in 31 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).

How it begins

Emandulo amantombazane amathathu ahamba ayotheza. Ilanga lalishisa kakhulu base behlela emfuleni ukuyobhukuda. Badlala, bethelana ngamanzi ngesikhathi bebhukuda. Kusenjalo babona ukuthi isikhathi sase sihambile. Baphuthuma bephindela emakhaya. Bathi sebesondele emakhaya, uNozibele wazithinta emqaleni wathola ukuthi umgexo wakhe wawungekho. Wayewukhohliwe! “Ngicela ningiphelezele…

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. “uNozibele kanye nezinwele ezintathu” 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 “uNozibele kanye nezinwele ezintathu” free to read?

Yes. “uNozibele kanye nezinwele ezintathu” 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 “uNozibele kanye nezinwele ezintathu” in?

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

What age is “uNozibele kanye nezinwele ezintathu” for?

It is best for ages 5–11 (Level 3 · First paragraphs). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.

Is “uNozibele kanye nezinwele ezintathu” available in other languages?

Yes — the same story is in English, Nigerian Pidgin, Kiswahili, EkeGusii, Kikamba, Kimaasai and more.

Who wrote “uNozibele kanye nezinwele ezintathu”?

“uNozibele kanye nezinwele ezintathu” was written by Tessa Welch and illustrated by Wiehan de Jager; the Zulu translation is by Zimbili Dlamini, Phumy Zikode.

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Credits: uNozibele kanye nezinwele ezintathu — Written by Tessa Welch; Illustrated by Wiehan de Jager; Translated by Zimbili Dlamini, Phumy Zikode; Read by Beauty Ngwenya. Zulu, Level 3. From Global Storybooks (southafricareads.org), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=1880). CC BY 3.0. · Page updated October 2026