Usuku lwami lokuzalwa!

Le ncwadi ngeka

Every child should own a hundred books by the age of five. To that end, Book Dash gathers creative volunteers to create new African storybooks that anyone can freely print, translate and distribute. Then we work with partners to give those books to preschool children to own.
To find out more, and to download beautiful, open-licensed, print-ready books, visit bookdash.org.

Usuku lwami lokuzalwa!
(It’s my birthday!)
Illustrated by Josie Versfeld
Written by Sinovuyo Mcunukelwa
Designed by Nkosingiphile Mazibuko
Translated by Lungile Mbhele
with the help of the Book Dash participants in Cape Town on 14 October 2023.
ISBN: 978-1-77632-487-3
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Licence  (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
You are free to share (copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format) and adapt (remix, transform, and build upon the material) this work for any purpose, even commercially.  The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the following license terms:
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USUKU LWAMI LOKUZALWA!

Sinovuyo Mcunukelwa - Josie Versfeld - Nkosingiphile Mazibuko

“Kurukuuuu!
Vuka, Zingisile! Namuhla usuku lwakho  lokuzalwa!”

Usuku lwami lokuzalwa, kuphinde kube usuku lwesikole.

“Mama, Mama!
Qagela ukuthi yiluphi lolu suku?” Kumemeza mina.
Njalo ekuseni ngosuku lwami lokuzalwa ngiye ngimbuze  kanjalo umama.

“Leli iphalishi lakho losuku lokuzalwa. Manje-ke, yidla masinyane, bese ulungela isikole.

Awukwazi ukufika emva kwesikhathi ngosuku lwakho lokuzalwa!”

Mmmhhh!
Ngiyalithanda iphalishi lommbila uma limanzi...

Galakangqa!

Enkulisa wonke umuntu uyazi ukuthi usuku lwami lokuzalwa.
Bacula iculo elithi Umini emnandi kuwe bese benginika amapheshana abhalwe izilokotho ezinhle zothando.

Sengijahe isidlo sami esikhethekile esenziwe nguMama.

Sengijahe ukubona nomzala wami oyintandokazi, uSisipho.
Uphinde abe umngani wami omkhulu.
Yena usuku lwakhe lokuzalwa luzofika ngoMandulo.
Kazi umama uzongiphekela yiphi inkukhu? Ngiyethemba kuzoba yile ekhuluphele.

“Zingisile, iyiphi ingxenye yendaba oyithande kakhulu?” kubuza uNkk Mkombe.

“Isijingi!” kumemeza mina, ngisazicabangela  izinyoni zami.
Bonke abangani bami bayahleka.

Lapho ngifika ekhaya, uLuhambo weneme kakhulu. Yena usagubhe usuku lokuzalwa olulodwa kuphela, mhla zingama-28 kuMbasa.

Mina manje sengibe nezinsuku zokuzalwa ezinhlanu!

Buka nje konke lokhu kudla!
UMama wenze ukudla engikuthandayo – isipinashi nommbila kanye nesijingi nomhluzi kanye nesinkwa sakhe esikhethekile. Konke kwenziwe ngokudla okuvela engadini yethu.

“Mini emnandi kuwe, Zingisile!
Mini emnandi kuwe, Zingisile!
Uneminyaka emingaki manje?”

“Ngineminyaka emihlanu manje!” Ngiyaphendula nami ngicula.
UBaba uyangiqukula angijikelezise.

“Zing-star wami!
Usumdala kakhulu sekusele kancane ube nguthisha!”

UMama ungivumela ngikhethe ucezu lwenkukhu olukhulu kunazo zonke. Uphakela mina kuqala.
Ngicobhoza isinkwa sami esimnandi emhluzini wami bese ngiyamamatheka.
Sengilangazelele usuku lwami lokuzalwa olulandelayo!