Zambezib ǃāb ǃnâ tsâs xa
A free picture book in Khoekhoegowab by Imelda Lyamine, Albius Chunga Mulisa, Maria Simasiku, Florence Habayemi Shitaa

Zambezib ǃāb ǃnâ tsâs xa is a picture book in Khoekhoegowab for ages 8–11 by Imelda Lyamine, Albius Chunga Mulisa, Maria Simasiku, Florence Habayemi Shitaa that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.
📖 Read it free →- Language
- Khoekhoegowab
- Written by
- Imelda Lyamine, Albius Chunga Mulisa, Maria Simasiku, Florence Habayemi Shitaa
- Illustrated by
- Kleopas Jambeinge
- Translated by
- Ivan Petrus Josob
- Reading level
- ages 8–11 · 3rd to 5th grade · Level 4 · Longer paragraphs
- From
- Namibia
- Source
- Global Storybooks
- Licence
- CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
- Price
- Free — read online, nothing to download
About this book
Zambezib ǃāb ǃnâ tsâs xa is a short illustrated picture book in Khoekhoegowab by Imelda Lyamine, Albius Chunga Mulisa, Maria Simasiku, Florence Habayemi Shitaa, illustrated by Kleopas Jambeinge and translated by Ivan Petrus Josob. 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-NC-SA 4.0 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
ǃGāsa sorexa Sontaxtsēkam ǃuiǁae ge is ge. Luseses ǃnâ di ge ǂkham ǀgôade, ǁÎs Kaprivib ǃnâ kai Musikili hais ǃnâga ge ǀhao hâ i. ǃGâiaǂgaob ǀkha ra ǃhoa domgu ge nē ǃgaroǃāros ǃnâ ǀganarase gere ǁnâuhe. Nau ǀhōsana di ge…Opening lines quoted from the openly licensed book (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).
This story in other languages
Reading the same story in two languages helps bilingual children connect words they already know. “Zambezib ǃāb ǃnâ tsâs xa” is also available in:
- Afrikaans · Swem in die Zambezi
- English · Swimming in the Zambezi
- Oshikwanyama · Okuyowa momulonga WaZambezi
- Oshindonga · Okuyoga momulonga gwaZambezi
- Otjiherero · Okutjaara mOzambezi
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
ǃKhaon ǀûna ūhâba tama ǃaromas
Andiswa ǂoaǂamsa ǂaiǃgai ǀhuru-aos
ǂKhari ǃKhomros: Wangari Maathais di ǂhôas
Pam-Pam Anis xa
ǃÂsa ǁnâseb xa
ǂÛdīs
Tommi banana ǁamaxū-aob
Piris, Arib, tsî Gomas xa
See all 40 free Khoekhoegowab books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩🏫 Assign this book to a class
Frequently asked questions
Is “Zambezib ǃāb ǃnâ tsâs xa” free to read?
Yes. “Zambezib ǃāb ǃnâ tsâs xa” 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-NC-SA 4.0).
What language is “Zambezib ǃāb ǃnâ tsâs xa” in?
It is written in Khoekhoegowab. Pagine has 40 free children’s books in Khoekhoegowab.
What age is “Zambezib ǃāb ǃnâ tsâs xa” for?
It is best for ages 8–11 (Level 4 · Longer paragraphs). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.
Is “Zambezib ǃāb ǃnâ tsâs xa” available in other languages?
Yes — the same story is in English, Afrikaans, Oshindonga, Oshikwanyama, Otjiherero.
Who wrote “Zambezib ǃāb ǃnâ tsâs xa”?
“Zambezib ǃāb ǃnâ tsâs xa” was written by Imelda Lyamine, Albius Chunga Mulisa, Maria Simasiku, Florence Habayemi Shitaa and illustrated by Kleopas Jambeinge; the Khoekhoegowab translation is by Ivan Petrus Josob.
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Get the free app →Credits: Zambezib ǃāb ǃnâ tsâs xa — Written by Imelda Lyamine, Albius Chunga Mulisa, Maria Simasiku, Florence Habayemi Shitaa; Illustrated by Kleopas Jambeinge; Translated by Ivan Petrus Josob. Khoekhoegowab, Level 4. From Global Storybooks (storybooksnamibia.net), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=40389). CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. · Page updated October 2026