Upalesa Uthanda Izityalo

Name: Upalesa Uthanda Izityalo
Availability: InStock
Author: Ursula Nafula

A free picture book in Xhosa by Ursula Nafula

Cover of Upalesa Uthanda Izityalo, a Xhosa picture book

Upalesa Uthanda Izityalo is a picture book in Xhosa for ages 5–8 by Ursula Nafula that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.

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Language: Xhosa
Written by: Ursula Nafula
Illustrated by: Jesse Pietersen
Translated by: Kholeka Mabeta
Reading level: ages 5–8 · kindergarten to 2nd grade · Level 2 · First sentences
From: South Africa
Source: Global Storybooks
Licence: CC BY 4.0
Price: Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

Upalesa Uthanda Izityalo is a short illustrated picture book in Xhosa by Ursula Nafula, illustrated by Jesse Pietersen and translated by Kholeka Mabeta. 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 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 24 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).

How it begins

Lo nguPalesa. Uneminyaka esixhenxe ubudala. Igama lakhe lithetha ukuthi ‘intyatyambo’ kulwimi lwakhe iSetswana. UPalesa uyavuka athethe nomthi weeorenji. “Nceda mthi weeorenji, khula ube mkhulu usinike amaorenji amaninzi avuthiweyo.” UPalesa uhamba ngeenyawo ukuya esikolweni. Endleleni uthetha nengca. “Nceda ngca, yiba luhlaza…

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. “Upalesa Uthanda Izityalo” is also available in:

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

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

Frequently asked questions

Is “Upalesa Uthanda Izityalo” free to read?

Yes. “Upalesa Uthanda Izityalo” 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 “Upalesa Uthanda Izityalo” in?

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

What age is “Upalesa Uthanda Izityalo” for?

It is best for ages 5–8 (Level 2 · First sentences). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.

Is “Upalesa Uthanda Izityalo” available in other languages?

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

Who wrote “Upalesa Uthanda Izityalo”?

“Upalesa Uthanda Izityalo” was written by Ursula Nafula and illustrated by Jesse Pietersen; the Xhosa translation is by Kholeka Mabeta.

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Credits: Upalesa Uthanda Izityalo — Written by Ursula Nafula; Illustrated by Jesse Pietersen; Translated by Kholeka Mabeta. Xhosa, Level 2. From Global Storybooks (southafricareads.org), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=13545). CC BY 4.0. · Page updated October 2026