PagineZama a di bes!
A free picture book in Jamaican Creole by Michael Oguttu
Zama a di bes! is a picture book in Jamaican Creole for ages 5–8 by Michael Oguttu that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.
📖 Read it free →- Language
- Jamaican Creole
- Written by
- Michael Oguttu
- Illustrated by
- Vusi Malindi
- Translated by
- Georgette McGlashen
- Reading level
- ages 5–8 · kindergarten to 2nd grade · Level 2 · First sentences
- From
- Jamaica
- Source
- Global Storybooks
- Licence
- CC BY 3.0
- Price
- Free — read online, nothing to download
About this book
Zama a di bes! is a short illustrated picture book in Jamaican Creole by Michael Oguttu, illustrated by Vusi Malindi and translated by Georgette McGlashen. 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 Jamaican Creole. 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 21 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).
How it begins
Mi likl breda sliip liet-liet. Mi get op orli kaaz mi a di bes! A mi mek di son kom iihn. “Yu a fi mi maanin star,” mama se. Mi bied miself, mi no waahn no elp. Mi kyan stan…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. “Zama a di bes!” is also available in:
- Afrikaans · Zama is oulik!
- Bemba · Zama Alicenjela!
- English · Zama is great!
- Irish · Tá Zama thar barr!
- Kaonde · Zama Wakosa
- Khoekhoegowab · Zamas ge a ǂoaǂamsa
- Kiswahili · Zama ni mkubwa!
- Lukhonzo · Zama Niw’amani
- Lunda · Zama wang’ovu
- Luvale · Zama lyatwila!
- Mauritian Creole · Zama enn top!
- Nigerian Pidgin · Zana dey great!
- Nyanja · Zama ndi wamkulu
- Oshikwanyama · Zama omunandjungu
- Oshindonga · Zama ependafule!
- Otjiherero · Zama omusemba!
- Sesotho · Zama ya moholo
- Somali · Zama waa mid aad u wanaagsan!
- Spanish · ¡Zama es genial!
- Tonga · Zama Mukali!
- Tswana · Zama o godile.
Reading together in Jamaican Creole
- 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 Jamaican Creole
Pikni dem we mek outa waks
Wahn taal-taal man
Chikin an Milipiid
Simbegwiere
Luk Pan Di Animal Dem
Wa yu a du?
Disizhan
Anansi an Wizdom
See all 40 free Jamaican Creole books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩🏫 Assign this book to a class
Frequently asked questions
Is “Zama a di bes!” free to read?
Yes. “Zama a di bes!” 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 “Zama a di bes!” in?
It is written in Jamaican Creole. Pagine has 40 free children’s books in Jamaican Creole.
What age is “Zama a di bes!” for?
It is best for ages 5–8 (Level 2 · First sentences). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.
Is “Zama a di bes!” available in other languages?
Yes — the same story is in English, Nigerian Pidgin, Kiswahili, Somali, Afrikaans, Tswana and more.
Who wrote “Zama a di bes!”?
“Zama a di bes!” was written by Michael Oguttu and illustrated by Vusi Malindi; the Jamaican Creole translation is by Georgette McGlashen.
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Get the free app →Credits: Zama a di bes! — Written by Michael Oguttu; Illustrated by Vusi Malindi; Translated by Georgette McGlashen. Jamaican Creole, Level 2. From Global Storybooks (global-asp.github.io/storybooks-jamaica), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=9984). CC BY 3.0. · Page updated October 2026