PagineXammi di ǀae haigu
A free picture book in Khoekhoegowab by Traditional San story
Xammi di ǀae haigu is a picture book in Khoekhoegowab for ages 8–11 by Traditional San story that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.
📖 Read it free →- Language
- Khoekhoegowab
- Written by
- Traditional San story
- Illustrated by
- Manyeka Arts Trust
- Translated by
- Maureen Merley So-Oabes
- Reading level
- ages 8–11 · 3rd to 5th grade · Level 4 · Longer paragraphs
- From
- Namibia
- Source
- Global Storybooks
- Licence
- CC BY 3.0
- Price
- Free — read online, nothing to download
About this book
Xammi di ǀae haigu is a short illustrated picture book in Khoekhoegowab by Traditional San story, illustrated by Manyeka Arts Trust and translated by Maureen Merley So-Oabes. 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 Khoekhoegowab. 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 5 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).
How it begins
Nē ǂhôas ge ǀoro tamas ka io īgeǁaeb xamarin tsî khoen gere ûiǁare ǁaeb ǃnâ ra tsoatsoa. ǁNā ǁaeb ǃnân ge khoena ǀaes di ǃkhūsiba ge ūhâ tama hâ i. Ora ǂûnan ge gere ǂû. Xammi ǀguib ge ǀaes di…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. “Xammi di ǀae haigu” is also available in:
- Afrikaans · Leeu se vuurstokkies
- English · Lion's fire sticks (Level 5)
- Oshikwanyama · Oiti yaNghoshi yokutaka omundilo
- Oshindonga · Iiti yaNkoshi yokudhiga omulilo
- Otjiherero · Outi wongeyama womuriro
Reading together in Khoekhoegowab
- 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 Khoekhoegowab
ǃÂsa ǁnâseb xa
ǂÛdīs
Tommi banana ǁamaxū-aob
Piris, Arib, tsî Gomas xa
ǁGâu-anib tsî Tūsôab hâkha
Tita ge khomais xa a ǃgâibahe!
ǀÛn
Ti Soros
See all 40 free Khoekhoegowab books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩🏫 Assign this book to a class
Frequently asked questions
Is “Xammi di ǀae haigu” free to read?
Yes. “Xammi di ǀae haigu” 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 “Xammi di ǀae haigu” in?
It is written in Khoekhoegowab. Pagine has 40 free children’s books in Khoekhoegowab.
What age is “Xammi di ǀae haigu” for?
It is best for ages 8–11 (Level 4 · Longer paragraphs). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.
Is “Xammi di ǀae haigu” available in other languages?
Yes — the same story is in English, Afrikaans, Oshindonga, Oshikwanyama, Otjiherero.
Who wrote “Xammi di ǀae haigu”?
“Xammi di ǀae haigu” was written by Traditional San story and illustrated by Manyeka Arts Trust; the Khoekhoegowab translation is by Maureen Merley So-Oabes.
Log books, set goals and build a daily reading habit — free on iOS, Android and the web.
Get the free app →Credits: Xammi di ǀae haigu — Written by Traditional San story; Illustrated by Manyeka Arts Trust; Translated by Maureen Merley So-Oabes. Khoekhoegowab, Level 4. From Global Storybooks (storybooksnamibia.net), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=5413). CC BY 3.0. · Page updated October 2026