Vara Garem

Name: Vara Garem
Availability: InStock
Author: Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek

A free picture book in Kasem by Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek

Cover of Vara Garem, a Kasem picture book

Vara Garem is a picture book in Kasem for ages 2–8 by Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.

📖 Read it free →

Language: Kasem
Written by: Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek
Illustrated by: Rob Owen
Translated by: Joseph Kandwe (OLE Ghana)
Reading level: ages 2–8 · preschool, kindergarten to 2nd grade · Level 1 · First words
From: Ghana
Source: Global Storybooks
Licence: CC BY 3.0
Price: Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

Vara Garem is a short illustrated picture book in Kasem by Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek, illustrated by Rob Owen and translated by Joseph Kandwe (OLE Ghana). It is written for ages 2–8 (Nursery–Year 1) and is graded as Level 1 · First words, so it works as a read-aloud for little ones and as practice for children learning to read in Kasem. 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 32 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).

How it begins

Tuu dedoa mo maa vei se ko nyɔ na. Sigi selei mo maa vei se se nyɔ na. Ga-naane detɔ de zuna bana de mo maa vei se ba nyɔ na. Tɔrro tenu de ga-teira yaredo mo maa vei na…

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. “Vara Garem” is also available in:

Reading together in Kasem

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 Kasem

See all 21 free Kasem books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩‍🏫 Assign this book to a class

Frequently asked questions

Is “Vara Garem” free to read?

Yes. “Vara Garem” 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 “Vara Garem” in?

It is written in Kasem. Pagine has 21 free children’s books in Kasem.

What age is “Vara Garem” for?

It is best for ages 2–8 (Level 1 · First words). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.

Is “Vara Garem” available in other languages?

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

Who wrote “Vara Garem”?

“Vara Garem” was written by Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek and illustrated by Rob Owen; the Kasem translation is by Joseph Kandwe (OLE Ghana).

Scan to get the free Pagine reading tracker app

Track reading with the free Pagine app

Log books, set goals and build a daily reading habit — free on iOS, Android and the web.

Get the free app →

Credits: Vara Garem — Written by Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek; Illustrated by Rob Owen; Translated by Joseph Kandwe (OLE Ghana). Kasem, Level 1. From Global Storybooks (global-asp.github.io/storybooks-ghana), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=9671). CC BY 3.0. · Page updated October 2026