Translate a Story

Translate on the African Storybook website

On the African Storybook website: www.africanstorybook.org, you can READ storybooks, and you can MAKE storybooks (by using the tools for creating, translating, and adapting). Before you translate a storybook, you will need to choose that storybook title (on the READ page), for example, the title of an English storybook that you would like to translate into an African language. 

We suggest that you create and type your translation in a Word document before you go online. This will give you time to edit and check the translated story before connecting to the website.

Here are the steps to translating a storybook online. 

 Step 1: Go to the African Storybook home page and click on MAKE

Step 2: Register or Login to African Storybook

This takes you to the LOGIN/REGISTER page.

If you are not yet registered, click REGISTER. Use your email address, create a simple password, submit your registration and watch out for an email from African Storybook. The email is for you to validate your registration and a link for you to login using your newly created login details.

If you are already registered, on the LOGIN page, fill in the SAME email and password you used to register. Then click CONTINUE. This action takes you to the MAKE section of the African Storybook website.

Step 3:  Go to the TRANSLATE page 

After you are logged in to the website, you can use the TRANSLATE tool. 

Step 4: Find the storybook that you want to translate

After clicking on TRANSLATE, click on NEW TRANSLATION. You will see a list of African Storybook titles in all languages that have been edited and approved. In the SEARCH field, type the title of the storybook you have chosen to translate. 

When you select Translate online, you will be taken to the page showing all the available translations of the storybook you have selected. If there isn’t already a translation into your language click YES to carry on with your translation. 


Step 5: Translate the storybook page-by-page
The website will open the storybook for you to type in (or paste) your translated story. On the left side of the screen, the storybook appears page by page in English. Start with the cover of the storybook and add the new information. Because you are logged in, your name will automatically be listed as the translator – in this case, Dorcas Wepukhulu.

Select the language into which you will be translating, in this case, Lubukusu. Then click √.

After translating the cover of the storybook, type in the translated story page-by-page.  If you have already typed your translation in a Word document, just copy and paste your translation into the space provided (below the original story words). Then click SAVE.

This sets the pattern: you fill in the text on the right, and when you SAVE, it appears in the correct place on the left. Work through each page, adding the translated text under the original story text.

Here is another example:

Remember to save each page before moving on to the next one. Please pay attention to the character count and word count, which is limited by the level of the storybook. 

Step 6: Preview and publish your translation

When all the pages are translated, click PREVIEW at the top left side of the screen. Read through the storybook, checking your translation and editing where necessary. Each time you make changes, click SAVE. To close the PREVIEW, click the orange back arrow next to African Storybook. 

When you are happy with your translated storybook, click PUBLISH. 

To find your newly translated storybook, refresh your computer. The storybook will be available under your profile, and also on the READ page of the website. Select the language into which you translated your storybook and click on ALL STORYBOOKS. Then, search for your translated storybook by its title, exactly the same way you wrote it. You can open and read your storybook by clicking anywhere on the title.

Step 7: Read and share your new storybook

Move the cursor to the top right hand of your storybook until you see MENU. You can share your storybook by clicking on SHARE to get the URL of the storybook. You can also download a print-ready copy as a PDF.

Thank you for contributing to African Storybook and helping children in Africa to practise their reading skills. Please join our mailing list and keep in touch! For any more support, please use the HELP function on the website to get in touch with us.

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