Wavhidi a Vulavula Na Swimilana

A free picture book in Tsonga by Ursula Nafula

Wavhidi a Vulavula Na Swimilana is a picture book in Tsonga for ages 5–8 by Ursula Nafula that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.

📖 Read it free →

Language

Tsonga

Written by

Ursula Nafula

Illustrated by

Jesse Pietersen

Translated by

Arnold Mushwana

Reading level

ages 5–8 · kindergarten to 2nd grade · Level 2 · First sentences

From

South Africa

Source

Global Storybooks

Licence

CC BY 4.0

Price

Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

Wavhidi a Vulavula Na Swimilana is a short illustrated picture book in Tsonga by Ursula Nafula, illustrated by Jesse Pietersen and translated by Arnold Mushwana. 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 Tsonga. The book comes from Global Storybooks and is shared under an open CC BY 4.0 licence, which is why it is free to read. The same story is available in 24 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).

How it begins

Loyi i Wavhudi. U na malembe ya nkombo. Vito ra yena i ra Xivhenda. To vula leswaku ‘wa kahle’. Wavhudi u pfuka a vulavula na mulamula. “Ndza ku kombela wena mulamula, kula u ta hi nyika malamula yo vupfa.” Wavhidi…

Opening lines quoted from the openly licensed book (CC BY 4.0).

This story in other languages

Reading the same story in two languages helps bilingual children connect words they already know. “Wavhidi a Vulavula Na Swimilana” is also available in:

• Afrikaans · Khalai praat met plante
• Bemba · Khalai Alasosha Icaani ne Fimuti
• English · Khalai talks to plants
• Jamaican Creole · Kalaahi
• Kaonde · Khalai wisamba na bijimwa
• Khoekhoegowab · Khalais ge haidi ǀkha ra ǃhoa
• Kiswahili · Khalai azungumza na mimea
• Lukhonzo · Khalai akakanaya n’ebirimwa
• Lunda · Khalai wahoshan’ga na zhimbutu
• Luvale · Khalai eji kuhanjika navimbuto
• Mauritian Creole · Khalai koz avek bann plant
• Nigerian Pidgin · Khalai yan with plant
• Nyanja · Khalai alankhula ku Zomela
• Oshikwanyama · Khalai ta popi noimeno
• Oshindonga · Khalai ta popi niimeno
• Otjiherero · Khalai ma hungirisa omiti
• Sesotho · Khalai o bua le dimela
• Somali · Kalaay waxay la hadashaa dhirta
• Spanish · Khalai le habla a las plantas
• Tonga · Khalai Ulabandika Kuzyisyango
• Tswana · Khalai o bua le dimela
• Venda · Khalai U Amba Na Zwitavhiwa
• Xhosa · Upalesa Uthanda Izityalo
• Zulu · Ukhalai Ukhuluma Nezitshalo

Reading together in Tsonga

• 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 Tsonga

• Xana ku na Un’wana wo Fana na Mina?
• Swiambalo swa xikolo
• Mahewu
• Mbewu leyitsongo
• Nkhuvo wa Tiya wa Tlotlego
• Nhlampfi leyi a yi nga koti ku hlambela
• Nchumu wo saseka ku tlurisa
• Kungu Lerikulu ra N’warisokotinyana

See all 56 free Tsonga books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩‍🏫 Assign this book to a class

Frequently asked questions

Is “Wavhidi a Vulavula Na Swimilana” free to read?

Yes. “Wavhidi a Vulavula Na Swimilana” 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 4.0).

What language is “Wavhidi a Vulavula Na Swimilana” in?

It is written in Tsonga. Pagine has 56 free children’s books in Tsonga.

What age is “Wavhidi a Vulavula Na Swimilana” for?

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

Is “Wavhidi a Vulavula Na Swimilana” available in other languages?

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

Who wrote “Wavhidi a Vulavula Na Swimilana”?

“Wavhidi a Vulavula Na Swimilana” was written by Ursula Nafula and illustrated by Jesse Pietersen; the Tsonga translation is by Arnold Mushwana.

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: Wavhidi a Vulavula Na Swimilana — Written by Ursula Nafula; Illustrated by Jesse Pietersen; Translated by Arnold Mushwana. Tsonga, Level 2. From Global Storybooks (southafricareads.org), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=13545). CC BY 4.0. · Page updated October 2026