Waxa ay Vusi walaashiis tiri

A free picture book in Somali by Nina Orange

Waxa ay Vusi walaashiis tiri is a picture book in Somali for ages 8–11 by Nina Orange that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.

📖 Read it free →

Language

Somali

Written by

Nina Orange

Illustrated by

Wiehan de Jager

Translated by

Abdi Muse

Reading level

ages 8–11 · 3rd to 5th grade · Level 4 · Longer paragraphs

From

Kenya

Source

Global Storybooks

Licence

CC BY 3.0

Price

Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

Waxa ay Vusi walaashiis tiri is a short illustrated picture book in Somali by Nina Orange, illustrated by Wiehan de Jager and translated by Abdi Muse. It is written for ages 8–11 (Grades 3–4) and is graded as Level 4 · Longer paragraphs, 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 19 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).

How it begins

Subax amin aroortii hore ah, ayaa Vusi ayaydiis u yeedhay, “Vusi, fadlan u qaad ukuntan waalidkaada, waxay doonayaan inay u sameeyaan keeg weyn arooska walaashaa”. Jidka marku waalidkiis u sii socday, Vusi wuxuu la kulmay laba wiil oo midho guranaayo.…

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. “Waxa ay Vusi walaashiis tiri” is also available in:

• Afrikaans · Wat Vusi se suster gesê het
• Bemba · Ifyalandile nkashi yakwa Vusi
• English · What Vusi's sister said
• Jamaican Creole · Wa Vuusi Sista Se
• Kaonde · Byaambile Ñenya Yakwa Vusi
• Khoekhoegowab · Vusib ausis ge mîs
• Kiswahili · Alichokisema dada yake Vusi
• Lukhonzo · Ekya’mwaliwabu Vusi abugha
• Lunda · Zhahosheliyi muhela Vusi
• Luvale · Ovyo ahanjikile ndumbu ya Vusi
• Mauritian Creole · Ser Vusi ki pou dir ?
• Nyanja · Zomwe Mulongo wa Vusi Ananena
• Oshikwanyama · Osho omumwainakadona waVusi a ti
• Oshindonga · Shoka omumwayinakadhona gwaVusi a ti
• Otjiherero · Omuṱena wa Vusi wa tja
• South Ndebele · Yini okutjhiwo ngudadwabo likaVusi?
• Spanish · Lo que la hermana de Vusi dijo
• Tonga · Ncaakaamba Mucizyi wa Vusi
• Tswana · Se mogoloe Susi a se buileng

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

• Maxaad samaynaysaa?
• Go’aan
• Ilmo dameer ah
• Heestii Sakima
• Xayawaan tirin
• Labo
• Waa maxay sababta aysan jeerta ulahayn timo
• Andiswa xidig kubadda cagta

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

Frequently asked questions

Is “Waxa ay Vusi walaashiis tiri” free to read?

Yes. “Waxa ay Vusi walaashiis tiri” 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 “Waxa ay Vusi walaashiis tiri” in?

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

What age is “Waxa ay Vusi walaashiis tiri” for?

It is best for ages 8–11 (Level 4 · Longer paragraphs). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.

Is “Waxa ay Vusi walaashiis tiri” available in other languages?

Yes — the same story is in English, Kiswahili, Afrikaans, Tswana, South Ndebele, Lukhonzo and more.

Who wrote “Waxa ay Vusi walaashiis tiri”?

“Waxa ay Vusi walaashiis tiri” was written by Nina Orange and illustrated by Wiehan de Jager; the Somali translation is by Abdi Muse.

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: Waxa ay Vusi walaashiis tiri — Written by Nina Orange; Illustrated by Wiehan de Jager; Translated by Abdi Muse; Read by Ibrahim Ahmed. Somali, Level 4. From Global Storybooks (global-asp.github.io/storybooks-kenya), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=6895). CC BY 3.0. · Page updated October 2026