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A woman sitting between a boy and a girl each holding luggage.

Vacanze con la nonna Holidays with grandmother Les vacances avec grand-maman

Written by Violet Otieno

Illustrated by Catherine Groenewald

Translated by Laura Pighini

Read by Sonia Pighini

Language Italian

Level Level 4

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A man walking between a boy and girl all smiling.

Odongo e Apiyo vivevano in città con loro padre. Non vedevano l’ora delle vacanze. Non solo perché la scuola chiudeva, ma perché sarebbero andati a visitare la loro nonna. Lei viveva in un villaggio di pescatori vicino ad un grande lago.

Odongo and Apiyo lived in the city with their father. They looked forward to the holidays. Not just because school was closed, but because they went to visit their grandmother. She lived in a fishing village near a large lake.

Odongo et Apiyo vivaient dans la ville avec leur père. Ils avaient hâte aux vacances. Non seulement parce que l’école serait fermée, mais parce qu’ils iraient rendre visite à leur grand-mère. Elle vivait dans un village de pêche près d’un grand lac.


A boy in a bed chatting with a girl in a bed next to him, with luggage at the bottom of their beds.

Odongo e Apiyo erano emozionati perché era ora di visitare la nonna di nuovo. La notte prima, prepararono le valigie e si prepararono al lungo viaggio che li avrebbe portati al villaggio.

Odongo and Apiyo were excited because it was time to visit their grandmother again. The night before, they packed their bags and got ready for the long journey to her village. They could not sleep and talked the whole night about the holiday.

Odongo et Apiyo avaient hâte parce que c’était à nouveau le temps de rendre visite à leur grand-mère. La veille, ils ont fait leurs valises et se sont préparés pour le long voyage jusqu’à son village. Ils ne pouvaient pas dormir et ils ont parlé toute la nuit à propos des vacances.


A car driving past mountains and wild animals.

La mattina dopo, molto presto, partirono per il villaggio nella macchina del papà. Guidarono attraverso montagne, animali selvaggi e piantagioni di tè. Contarono le macchine e cantarono canzoni.

Early the next morning, they left for the village in their father’s car. They drove past mountains, wild animals and tea plantations. They counted cars and sang songs.

Tôt le lendemain matin, ils sont partis vers le village dans la voiture de leur père. Ils ont vu des montagnes, des animaux sauvages et des plantations de thé. Ils ont compté les voitures et ont chanté des chansons.


A boy and girl sleeping in a car.

Dopo un po’, i bambini erano stanchi e si addormentarono.

After a while, the children were tired and fell asleep.

Après un certain temps, les enfants se sont endormis, fatigués.


A woman sitting between a boy and a girl each holding luggage.

Papà svegliò Odongo e Apiyo appena arrivarono al villaggio. Trovarono Nyar-Kanyada, la loro nonna, mentre riposava su un tappeto sotto un albero. Nyar-Kanyada in Luo significa “Figlia della gente di Kanyada”. Era una donna forte e bellissima.

Father woke up Odongo and Apiyo as they arrived in the village. They found Nyar-Kanyada, their grandmother, resting on a mat under a tree. Nyar-Kanyada in Luo, means ‘daughter of the people of Kanyada’. She was a strong and beautiful woman.

Papa réveilla Odongo et Apiyo lorsqu’ils arrivèrent au village. Ils ont trouvé leur grand-mère Nyar-Kanyada assise sous un arbre. En luo, Nyar-Kanyada veut dire « fille du peuple de Kanyada ». C’ était une femme belle et forte.


A happy-looking boy and girl holding out gifts to give to a woman.

Nyar-Kanyada diede loro il benvenuto nella sua casa e ballò intorno alla stanza cantando con gioia. I suoi nipotini erano emozionati di darle regali che le avevano portato dalla città. “Prima apri il mio regalo,” disse Odongo. “No, prima il mio!” disse Apiyo.

Nyar-Kanyada welcomed them into the house and danced around the room singing with joy. Her grandchildren were excited to give her the presents they brought from the city. “First open my gift,” said Odongo. “No, my gift first!” said Apiyo.

Nyar-Kanyada les a accueillis dans sa maison et a dansé tout autour de la salle en chantant de bonheur. Ses petits-enfants avaient hâte de lui donner les cadeaux qu’ils avaient apportés de la ville. « Ouvre mon cadeau en premier, » dit Odongo. « Non, ouvre le mien en premier ! » dit Apiyo.


A boy and girl bowing their heads and a woman touching the boy's head.

Dopo che aprì i regali, Nyar-Kanyada benedì i suoi nipotini nel modo tradizionale.

After she opened the presents, Nyar-Kanyada blessed her grandchildren in a traditional way.

Après avoir ouvert ses cadeaux, Nyar-Kanyada donna une bénédiction traditionnelle à ses petits-enfants.


A boy and girl outside chasing butterflies and birds.

Poi Odongo e Apiyo uscirono in giardino. Inseguirono farfalle e uccellini.

Then Odongo and Apiyo went outside. They chased butterflies and birds.

Ensuite, Odongo et Apiyo sont sortis dehors. Ils ont poursuivi des papillons et des oiseaux.


A boy hanging upside down from a tree and a girl splashing in a lake.

Si arrampicarono sugli alberi e si schizzarono con l’acqua del lago.

They climbed trees and splashed in the water of the lake.

Ils ont grimpé aux arbres et se sont éclaboussés dans l’eau du lac.


A boy and girl falling asleep eating dinner.

Quando diventò buio, tornarono a casa per cena. Prima che potessero finire di mangiare, si stavano per addormentare!

When it was dark they returned to the house for dinner. Before they could finish eating, they were falling asleep!

Quand la nuit tomba ils retournèrent à la maison pour souper. Ils se sont endormis avant même de finir de manger!


A boy, a girl and a woman waving goodbye to a man driving off in a car.

Il giorno seguente, il papà ripartì per tornare in città, lasciando i bambini con Nyar-Kanyada.

The next day, the children’s father drove back to the city leaving them with Nyar-Kanyada.

Le lendemain, le père des enfants est retourné à la ville, les laissant avec Nyar-Kanyada.


A boy fetching water and firewood and a girl carrying eggs and a basket of vegetables.

Odongo e Apiyo aiutarono la nonna con le faccende di casa. Andarono a prendere l’acqua e la legna per il fuoco. Raccolsero le uova dalle galline e le verdure dal giardino.

Odongo and Apiyo helped their grandmother with household chores. They fetched water and firewood. They collected eggs from the chickens and picked greens from the garden.

Odongo et Apiyo ont aidé leur grand-mère à faire les tâches ménagères. Ils sont allés chercher de l’eau et du bois de chauffage. Ils ont ramassé les œufs des poules et ont cueilli des herbes aromatiques dans le jardin.


A woman with her arms around a boy and girl sitting at a table eating dinner.

Nyar-Kanyada insegnò ai suoi nipotini come fare soffici ugali da mangiare con lo stufato. Mostrò loro come fare il riso al cocco da mangiare con il pesce arrosto.

Nyar-Kanyada taught her grandchildren to make soft ugali to eat with stew. She showed them how to make coconut rice to eat with roast fish.

Nyar-Kanyada a montré à ses petits-enfants comment faire de l’ugali mou pour manger avec du ragoût. Elle leur a montré comment faire du riz de noix de coco pour manger avec du poisson grillé.


Two cows eating crops and a farmer and a boy shouting at the cows.

Una mattina, Odongo portò le mucche di sua nonna a pascolare. Incapparono nella fattoria del vicino. Il contadino era arrabbiato con Odongo. Lo minacciò di tenersi le mucche per aver mangiato il suo raccolto. Dopo quel giorno il bambino si assicurò che le mucche non finissero di nuovo nei guai.

One morning, Odongo took his grandmother’s cows to graze. They ran onto a neighbour’s farm. The farmer was angry with Odongo. He threatened to keep the cows for eating his crops. After that day, the boy made sure that the cows did not get into trouble again.

Un matin, Odongo a mené paître les vaches de sa grand-mère. Elles ont couru dans la ferme d’un voisin. Le fermier était fâché envers Odongo. Il a menacé de garder les vaches parce qu’elles avaient mangé ses récoltes. À partir de ce jour-là, le garçon a veillé à ce que les vaches ne fassent pas d’autres bêtises.


A boy and a girl helping a woman sell vegetables to customers at a marketplace.

Un altro giorno, i bambini andarono al mercato con Nyar-Kanyada. Lei aveva una bancarella che vendeva verdure, zucchero e sale. Ad Apiyo piaceva dire ai clienti i prezzi della merce. Odongo preparava i sacchetti con le cose che i clienti avevano comprato.

On another day, the children went to the marketplace with Nyar-Kanyada. She had a stall selling vegetables, sugar and soap. Apiyo liked to tell customers the price of items. Odongo would pack the items that customers bought.

Un autre jour, les enfants sont allés au marché avec Nyar-Kanyada. Elle avait un stand pour vendre des légumes, du sucre et du savon. Apiyo aimait donner le prix des articles aux clients. Odongo emballait ce que les clients achetaient.


A boy, a girl and a woman drinking tea together.

Alla fine della giornata bevvero tè chai insieme. Aiutarono la nonna a contare i soldi che aveva guadagnato.

At the end of the day they drank chai tea together. They helped grandmother to count the money she earned.

À la fin de la journée, ils ont bu du thé chai ensemble. Ils ont aidé leur grand-mère à compter l’argent qu’elle avait gagné.


A girl wearing a new sweater and a boy wearing a new cap next to a woman holding lots of luggage.

Ma troppo presto le vacanze finirono e i bambini dovettero tornare in città. Nyar-Kanyada diede a Odongo un cappello e ad Apiyo una felpa. Preparò del cibo per il loro viaggio.

But too soon the holidays were over and the children had to go back to the city. Nyar-Kanyada gave Odongo a cap and Apiyo a sweater. She packed food for their journey.

Trop tôt, les vacances étaient terminées et les enfants devaient retourner à la ville. Nyar-Kanyada donna une casquette à Odongo et un chandail à Apiyo. Elle emballa de la nourriture pour leur voyage.


A boy and girl hugging a man standing next to a woman with her arms open wide.

Quando il padre arrivò a prenderli, loro non volevano andarsene. I bimbi pregarono Nyar-Kanyada di andare con loro in città. Lei sorrise e disse “Sono troppo vecchia per la città. Aspetterò che veniate a trovarmi di nuovo al mio villaggio.”

When their father came to fetch them, they did not want to leave. The children begged Nyar-Kanyada to go with them to the city. She smiled and said, “I am too old for the city. I will be waiting for you to come to my village again.”

Quand leur père est venu les chercher, ils ne voulaient pas partir. Les enfants ont supplié Nyar-Kanyada de venir avec eux à la ville. Elle sourit et dit, « Je suis trop vieille pour la ville. J’attendrai votre retour à mon village. »


A boy and girl hugging a woman tightly.

Odongo e Apiyo la abbracciarono forte e la salutarono.

Odongo and Apiyo both hugged her tightly and said goodbye.

Odongo et Apiyo l’ont tous les deux embrassée fort et lui ont dit au revoir.


A boy and girl talking with school friends.

Quando Odongo e Apiyo tornarono a scuola, raccontarono ai loro amici della vita nel villaggio. Alcuni bambini pensarono che la vita in città fosse bella. Altri pensarono che il villaggio fosse meglio. Ma soprattutto, tutti concordarono sul fatto che Odongo e Apiyo avessero una nonna fantastica!

When Odongo and Apiyo went back to school they told their friends about life in the village. Some children felt that life in the city was good. Others felt that the village was better. But most of all, everyone agreed that Odongo and Apiyo had a wonderful grandmother!

Quand Odongo et Apiyo sont retournés à l’école ils ont raconté leurs histoires de la vie dans le village à leurs amis. Certains enfants croyaient que la vie en ville était bonne. D’autres étaient de l’avis que le village était meilleur. Et surtout, ils étaient tous d’accord que Odongo et Apiyo avaient une grand-mère merveilleuse !


Written by: Violet Otieno
Illustrated by: Catherine Groenewald
Translated by: Laura Pighini
Read by: Sonia Pighini
Language: Italian
Level: Level 4
Source: Holidays with grandmother from African Storybook
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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