PagineZama o godile.
A free picture book in Tswana by Michael Oguttu
Zama o godile. is a picture book in Tswana for ages 5–8 by Michael Oguttu that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.
📖 Read it free →- Language
- Tswana
- Written by
- Michael Oguttu
- Illustrated by
- Vusi Malindi
- Translated by
- Domitilla Naledi Madi
- Reading level
- ages 5–8 · kindergarten to 2nd grade · Level 2 · First sentences
- From
- South Africa, Namibia
- Source
- Global Storybooks
- Licence
- CC BY 3.0
- Price
- Free — read online, nothing to download
About this book
Zama o godile. is a short illustrated picture book in Tswana by Michael Oguttu, illustrated by Vusi Malindi and translated by Domitilla Naledi Madi. 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 Tswana. 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
Nnake yo mmotlana o robala thari. Ke tsoga go sa le gale, ka ntlha ya gonne ke godile! Ke nna ke bulelang letsatsi go tsena. “O naledi yame ya moso,” go bua Mme. Ke a itlhapisa, ga ke tlhoke thuso…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 o godile.” is also available in:
- Afrikaans · Zama is oulik!
- Bemba · Zama Alicenjela!
- English · Zama is great!
- Irish · Tá Zama thar barr!
- Jamaican Creole · Zama a di bes!
- 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!
Reading together in Tswana
- 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 Tswana
Lebelela, Luthando!
Peo e nnye
Goreng go na le mosima mo leboteng?- Tlhapi e e neng e sa kgone go thumaTlhapi e e neng e sa kgone go thuma
Moletlo wa Tee wa ga Tlotlego
Lulu o kae?
Koko e e fofang!
Go tswa go Boi
See all 103 free Tswana books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩🏫 Assign this book to a class
Frequently asked questions
Is “Zama o godile.” free to read?
Yes. “Zama o godile.” 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 o godile.” in?
It is written in Tswana. Pagine has 103 free children’s books in Tswana.
What age is “Zama o godile.” for?
It is best for ages 5–8 (Level 2 · First sentences). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.
Is “Zama o godile.” available in other languages?
Yes — the same story is in English, Nigerian Pidgin, Kiswahili, Somali, Afrikaans, Sesotho and more.
Who wrote “Zama o godile.”?
“Zama o godile.” was written by Michael Oguttu and illustrated by Vusi Malindi; the Tswana translation is by Domitilla Naledi Madi.
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Get the free app →Credits: Zama o godile. — Written by Michael Oguttu; Illustrated by Vusi Malindi; Translated by Domitilla Naledi Madi. Tswana, Level 2. From Global Storybooks (southafricareads.org), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=9984). CC BY 3.0. · Page updated October 2026