PagineZama ya moholo
A free picture book in Sesotho by Michael Oguttu
Zama ya moholo is a picture book in Sesotho for ages 5–8 by Michael Oguttu that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.
📖 Read it free →- Language
- Sesotho
- Written by
- Michael Oguttu
- Illustrated by
- Vusi Malindi
- Translated by
- Maria Vaz
- Reading level
- ages 5–8 · kindergarten to 2nd grade · Level 2 · First sentences
- From
- South Africa
- Source
- Global Storybooks
- Licence
- CC BY 3.0
- Price
- Free — read online, nothing to download
About this book
Zama ya moholo is a short illustrated picture book in Sesotho by Michael Oguttu, illustrated by Vusi Malindi and translated by Maria Vaz. 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 Sesotho. 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
Ngwaneso wa moshemane ya monyenyane o robala bosiu haholo. Nna ke tsoha hoseng ka matjeke, hobane ke moholo. Ke nna ya bulelang mahlasedi a letsatsi. “O naletsana ya ka ya meso,” ke mme eo. Ke a itlhapisa, ha ke hloke…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 ya moholo” 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!
- Somali · Zama waa mid aad u wanaagsan!
- Spanish · ¡Zama es genial!
- Tonga · Zama Mukali!
- Tswana · Zama o godile.
Reading together in Sesotho
- 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 Sesotho
Ke Tla o thusa
Kgauta ya Ntatemoholo
Katse le Ntja ba a taka ba tlotsa ka mebala
Neo le lempetje
Dikatse tsa Selemeng
Mosuwetsana Akinyi
Diaparo tsa ka tsa sekolo
Mollo
See all 125 free Sesotho books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩🏫 Assign this book to a class
Frequently asked questions
Is “Zama ya moholo” free to read?
Yes. “Zama ya moholo” 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 ya moholo” in?
It is written in Sesotho. Pagine has 125 free children’s books in Sesotho.
What age is “Zama ya moholo” for?
It is best for ages 5–8 (Level 2 · First sentences). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.
Is “Zama ya moholo” available in other languages?
Yes — the same story is in English, Nigerian Pidgin, Kiswahili, Somali, Afrikaans, Tswana and more.
Who wrote “Zama ya moholo”?
“Zama ya moholo” was written by Michael Oguttu and illustrated by Vusi Malindi; the Sesotho translation is by Maria Vaz.
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Get the free app →Credits: Zama ya moholo — Written by Michael Oguttu; Illustrated by Vusi Malindi; Translated by Maria Vaz. Sesotho, 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