Wapi paka wangu?

Name: Wapi paka wangu?
Availability: InStock
Author: Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi

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

Cover of Wapi paka wangu?, a Kiswahili picture book

Wapi paka wangu? is a picture book in Kiswahili for ages 2–8 by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.

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Language: Kiswahili
Written by: Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi
Illustrated by: Bronwen Heath, Ingrid Schechter
Translated by: Ursula Nafula
Reading level: ages 2–8 · preschool, kindergarten to 2nd grade · Level 1 · First words
From: Kenya
Source: Global Storybooks
Licence: CC BY-NC 3.0
Price: Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

Wapi paka wangu? is a short illustrated picture book in Kiswahili by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi, illustrated by Bronwen Heath, Ingrid Schechter and translated by Ursula Nafula. 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 Kiswahili. The book comes from Global Storybooks and is shared under an open CC BY-NC 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

Yuko wapi paka wangu? Je, yuko chini ya kitanda? Yuko juu ya kabati? Yuko nyuma ya sofa? Yuko karibu na pipa la takataka? Yuko ndani ya kikapu? Yuko nje ya nyumba? Yupo hapa! Wapi paka wangu? — Written by Clare…

Opening lines quoted from the openly licensed book (CC BY-NC 3.0).

This story in other languages

Reading the same story in two languages helps bilingual children connect words they already know. “Wapi paka wangu?” is also available in:

Reading together in Kiswahili

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 Kiswahili

See all 100 free Kiswahili books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩‍🏫 Assign this book to a class

Frequently asked questions

Is “Wapi paka wangu?” free to read?

Yes. “Wapi paka wangu?” 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-NC 3.0).

What language is “Wapi paka wangu?” in?

It is written in Kiswahili. Pagine has 100 free children’s books in Kiswahili.

What age is “Wapi paka wangu?” for?

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

Is “Wapi paka wangu?” available in other languages?

Yes — the same story is in English, Turkana, Somali, Xhosa, Afrikaans, Sepedi and more.

Who wrote “Wapi paka wangu?”?

“Wapi paka wangu?” was written by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi and illustrated by Bronwen Heath, Ingrid Schechter; the Kiswahili translation is by Ursula Nafula.

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Credits: Wapi paka wangu? — Written by Clare Verbeek, Thembani Dladla, Zanele Buthelezi; Illustrated by Bronwen Heath, Ingrid Schechter; Translated by Ursula Nafula; Read by Lauwo George. Kiswahili, Level 1. From Global Storybooks (global-asp.github.io/storybooks-kenya), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=1825). CC BY-NC 3.0. · Page updated October 2026