Waa maxay sababta aysan jeerta ulahayn timo

Name: Waa maxay sababta aysan jeerta ulahayn timo
Availability: InStock
Author: Basilio Gimo, David Ker

A free picture book in Somali by Basilio Gimo, David Ker

Cover of Waa maxay sababta aysan jeerta ulahayn timo, a Somali picture book

Waa maxay sababta aysan jeerta ulahayn timo is a picture book in Somali for ages 5–8 by Basilio Gimo, David Ker that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.

📖 Read it free →

Language: Somali
Written by: Basilio Gimo, David Ker
Illustrated by: Carol Liddiment
Translated by: Abdi Muse
Reading level: ages 5–8 · kindergarten to 2nd grade · Level 2 · First sentences
From: Kenya
Source: Global Storybooks
Licence: CC BY 3.0
Price: Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

Waa maxay sababta aysan jeerta ulahayn timo is a short illustrated picture book in Somali by Basilio Gimo, David Ker, illustrated by Carol Liddiment and translated by Abdi Muse. 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 Somali. 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

Maalin maalmaha ka mid ah, Bakayle ayaa socday wabiga qarkiisa. Jeerta na waa ay joogtay, ayadoo u socoto damaashaad iyo cunnida xoogaa caws fiican oo cagaaran. Jeerta ma aysan arkayn bakaylaha in uu joogo meeshaas waxayna si kama ah ayey…

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. “Waa maxay sababta aysan jeerta ulahayn timo” is also available in:

Reading together in Somali

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 Somali

See all 40 free Somali books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩‍🏫 Assign this book to a class

Frequently asked questions

Is “Waa maxay sababta aysan jeerta ulahayn timo” free to read?

Yes. “Waa maxay sababta aysan jeerta ulahayn timo” 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 “Waa maxay sababta aysan jeerta ulahayn timo” in?

It is written in Somali. Pagine has 40 free children’s books in Somali.

What age is “Waa maxay sababta aysan jeerta ulahayn timo” for?

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

Is “Waa maxay sababta aysan jeerta ulahayn timo” available in other languages?

Yes — the same story is in Kiswahili, Kimaasai, Turkana, Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans and more.

Who wrote “Waa maxay sababta aysan jeerta ulahayn timo”?

“Waa maxay sababta aysan jeerta ulahayn timo” was written by Basilio Gimo, David Ker and illustrated by Carol Liddiment; the Somali translation is by Abdi Muse.

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: Waa maxay sababta aysan jeerta ulahayn timo — Written by Basilio Gimo, David Ker; Illustrated by Carol Liddiment; Translated by Abdi Muse; Read by Ibrahim Ahmed. Somali, Level 2. From Global Storybooks (global-asp.github.io/storybooks-kenya), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=6160). CC BY 3.0. · Page updated October 2026