Wat doen jy?

Name: Wat doen jy?
Availability: InStock
Author: Nina Orange

A free picture book in Afrikaans by Nina Orange

Cover of Wat doen jy?, a Afrikaans picture book

Wat doen jy? is a picture book in Afrikaans for ages 2–8 by Nina Orange that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.

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Language: Afrikaans
Written by: Nina Orange
Illustrated by: Wiehan de Jager
Translated by: Nicole Hunt, Helena Vilonel
Reading level: ages 2–8 · preschool, kindergarten to 2nd grade · Level 1 · First words
From: South Africa, Namibia
Source: Global Storybooks
Licence: CC BY 3.0
Price: Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

Wat doen jy? is a short illustrated picture book in Afrikaans by Nina Orange, illustrated by Wiehan de Jager and translated by Nicole Hunt, Helena Vilonel. 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 Afrikaans. 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

Ek sing. Sy waai. Ek klap hande. Sy strek. Hy roep. Ek antwoord. Sy luister. Wat doen jy? — Written by Nina Orange; Illustrated by Wiehan de Jager; Translated by Nicole Hunt, Helena Vilonel; Read by Willemien Wannberg. Afrikaans, Level…

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. “Wat doen jy?” is also available in:

Reading together in Afrikaans

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 Afrikaans

See all 143 free Afrikaans books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩‍🏫 Assign this book to a class

Frequently asked questions

Is “Wat doen jy?” free to read?

Yes. “Wat doen jy?” 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 “Wat doen jy?” in?

It is written in Afrikaans. Pagine has 143 free children’s books in Afrikaans.

What age is “Wat doen jy?” for?

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

Is “Wat doen jy?” available in other languages?

Yes — the same story is in Kikuyu, Turkana, Somali, Zulu, Xhosa, Sepedi and more.

Who wrote “Wat doen jy?”?

“Wat doen jy?” was written by Nina Orange and illustrated by Wiehan de Jager; the Afrikaans translation is by Nicole Hunt, Helena Vilonel.

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Credits: Wat doen jy? — Written by Nina Orange; Illustrated by Wiehan de Jager; Translated by Nicole Hunt, Helena Vilonel; Read by Willemien Wannberg. Afrikaans, Level 1. From Global Storybooks (southafricareads.org), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=7292). CC BY 3.0. · Page updated October 2026