PagineZana dey great!
A free picture book in Nigerian Pidgin by Michael Oguttu
Zana dey great! is a picture book in Nigerian Pidgin for ages 5–8 by Michael Oguttu that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.
📖 Read it free →- Language
- Nigerian Pidgin
- Written by
- Michael Oguttu
- Illustrated by
- Vusi Malindi
- Translated by
- Anthonia Ujene
- Reading level
- ages 5–8 · kindergarten to 2nd grade · Level 2 · First sentences
- From
- Nigeria
- Source
- Global Storybooks
- Licence
- CC BY 3.0
- Price
- Free — read online, nothing to download
About this book
Zana dey great! is a short illustrated picture book in Nigerian Pidgin by Michael Oguttu, illustrated by Vusi Malindi and translated by Anthonia Ujene. 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 Nigerian Pidgin. 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
My small brother sabi sleep well well. I dey quick get up as bigger boy! Na me dey let sun enter inside. You be my shine shine bobo mama go say. I sabi bath mysef nobody dey help me. I…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. “Zana dey great!” 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!
- 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 Nigerian Pidgin
- 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 Nigerian Pidgin
Khalai yan with plant
Na longie man o
Goat, dog, and Malu
Nozibele an three hairs
Count animals
Tingi and cows
See all 7 free Nigerian Pidgin books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩🏫 Assign this book to a class
Frequently asked questions
Is “Zana dey great!” free to read?
Yes. “Zana dey great!” 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 “Zana dey great!” in?
It is written in Nigerian Pidgin. Pagine has 7 free children’s books in Nigerian Pidgin.
What age is “Zana dey great!” for?
It is best for ages 5–8 (Level 2 · First sentences). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.
Is “Zana dey great!” available in other languages?
Yes — the same story is in English, Kiswahili, Somali, Afrikaans, Tswana, Sesotho and more.
Who wrote “Zana dey great!”?
“Zana dey great!” was written by Michael Oguttu and illustrated by Vusi Malindi; the Nigerian Pidgin translation is by Anthonia Ujene.
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Get the free app →Credits: Zana dey great! — Written by Michael Oguttu; Illustrated by Vusi Malindi; Translated by Anthonia Ujene. Nigerian Pidgin, Level 2. From Global Storybooks (global-asp.github.io/storybooks-nigeria), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=9984). CC BY 3.0. · Page updated October 2026