Xayawaan tirin

Name: Xayawaan tirin
Availability: InStock
Author: Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek

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

Cover of Xayawaan tirin, a Somali picture book

Xayawaan tirin is a picture book in Somali for ages 2–8 by Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.

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Language: Somali
Written by: Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek
Illustrated by: Rob Owen
Translated by: Anwar Mohamed Dirie
Reading level: ages 2–8 · preschool, kindergarten to 2nd grade · Level 1 · First words
From: Kenya
Source: Global Storybooks
Licence: CC BY 3.0
Price: Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

Xayawaan tirin is a short illustrated picture book in Somali by Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek, illustrated by Rob Owen and translated by Anwar Mohamed Dirie. 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 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 32 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).

How it begins

Hal maroodi ayaa u socdo in uu biyo cabo. Laba geri ayaa u socdo in ay biyo soo cabbaan. Saddex gisi ah iyo afar shimbirood ayaa sido kale ayaa u socdo in ay biyo soo cabbaan. Shan cawl iyo lix…

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. “Xayawaan tirin” is also available in:

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

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

Frequently asked questions

Is “Xayawaan tirin” free to read?

Yes. “Xayawaan tirin” 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 “Xayawaan tirin” in?

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

What age is “Xayawaan tirin” for?

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

Is “Xayawaan tirin” available in other languages?

Yes — the same story is in Nigerian Pidgin, Hausa, Kiswahili, Xhosa, Afrikaans, Tswana and more.

Who wrote “Xayawaan tirin”?

“Xayawaan tirin” was written by Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek and illustrated by Rob Owen; the Somali translation is by Anwar Mohamed Dirie.

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Credits: Xayawaan tirin — Written by Zanele Buthelezi, Thembani Dladla, Clare Verbeek; Illustrated by Rob Owen; Translated by Anwar Mohamed Dirie; Read by Ibrahim Ahmed. Somali, Level 1. From Global Storybooks (global-asp.github.io/storybooks-kenya), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=9671). CC BY 3.0. · Page updated October 2026