Wa yu a du?
A free picture book in Jamaican Creole by Nina Orange

Wa yu a du? is a picture book in Jamaican Creole for ages 2–8 by Nina Orange that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.
📖 Read it free →- Language
- Jamaican Creole
- Written by
- Nina Orange
- Illustrated by
- Wiehan de Jager
- Translated by
- Georgette McGlashen
- Reading level
- ages 2–8 · preschool, kindergarten to 2nd grade · Level 1 · First words
- From
- Jamaica
- Source
- Global Storybooks
- Licence
- CC BY 3.0
- Price
- Free — read online, nothing to download
About this book
Wa yu a du? is a short illustrated picture book in Jamaican Creole by Nina Orange, illustrated by Wiehan de Jager and translated by Georgette McGlashen. 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 Jamaican Creole. 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 29 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).
How it begins
Mi a sing. Shi a wiev. Mi a klap. Shi a chrech. Im a kaal. Mi a ansa. Shi a lisn. Wa yu a du? — Written by Nina Orange; Illustrated by Wiehan de Jager; Translated by Georgette McGlashen. Jamaican…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. “Wa yu a du?” is also available in:
- Afrikaans · Wat doen jy?
- Bemba · Finshi Uleecita?
- Dagbani · Bɔ ka a niŋda?
- Kaonde · Ubena Kuuba ka?
- Khoekhoegowab · Tare-ets ra dī?
- Kichaga · Kiki kukeuta?
- Kikuyu · Nĩkĩĩ ureka?
- Kisukuma · Uleetake?
- Kiswahili · Unafanya nini?
- Krio · Wetin yu de du?
- Lukhonzo · Ukakolhaki?
- Lunda · Winakwiladi?
- Lunyole · Ohola hiina?
- Luvale · Uli nakulinga ika?
- Mauritian Creole · Ki to pe fer?
- Nyanja · Ucita Ciani?
- Oshikwanyama · Oto ningi shike?
- Oshindonga · Oto ningi shike?
- Otjiherero · Ove mo tjiti tjike?
- Sepedi · O dira eng?
- Sesotho · O etsang?
- Somali · Maxaad samaynaysaa?
- Spanish · ¿Qué estás haciendo?
- Tonga · Ino Ucita Nzi?
- Tsonga · Xana u endla yini?
- Tswana · O dira eng?
- Turkana · Nyo Isubi Iyong?
- Xhosa · Wenza Ntoni?
- Zulu · Wenzani?
Reading together in Jamaican Creole
- 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 Jamaican Creole
Tuu
Pikni dem we mek outa waks
Wahn taal-taal man
Di Die Mi Lef Mi Yaad Fi Go Toun
Alidie wid Granmaa
Di Onggri Krokodail
A kuk
Disizhan
See all 40 free Jamaican Creole books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩🏫 Assign this book to a class
Frequently asked questions
Is “Wa yu a du?” free to read?
Yes. “Wa yu a du?” 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 “Wa yu a du?” in?
It is written in Jamaican Creole. Pagine has 40 free children’s books in Jamaican Creole.
What age is “Wa yu a du?” for?
It is best for ages 2–8 (Level 1 · First words). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.
Is “Wa yu a du?” available in other languages?
Yes — the same story is in Kikuyu, Turkana, Somali, Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans and more.
Who wrote “Wa yu a du?”?
“Wa yu a du?” was written by Nina Orange and illustrated by Wiehan de Jager; the Jamaican Creole translation is by Georgette McGlashen.
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Get the free app →Credits: Wa yu a du? — Written by Nina Orange; Illustrated by Wiehan de Jager; Translated by Georgette McGlashen. Jamaican Creole, Level 1. From Global Storybooks (global-asp.github.io/storybooks-jamaica), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=7292). CC BY 3.0. · Page updated October 2026