ਖਾ!
The Snack
Set 2, book one in the ਗਾਂ ਤੇ ਕਾਂ series. The crow wants some of the cow's grass, and he asks YOU. Again and again. Your child gets to say no. One new word: ਖਾ (eat).
Words you'll read
- ਗਾਂ
- ਕਾਂ
- ਹਾਂ
- ਸੋਹਣਾ
- ਖਾ
Your child's word in this book: ਨਾ. Each time it's coming, pause and let them shout it.
How to read this book
This is a controlled-vocabulary reader — a little book your child can read on their own. It uses only a handful of Punjabi words, repeated often, so a brand-new reader succeeds from the very first page.
- Read it together first, pointing at each word as you say it.
- Then let them read it back to you — sounding out the Gurmukhi.
- Reread it. Kids reread what makes them laugh, and rereading is how reading becomes automatic.
- Turn the English captions off (button below) once they know the story, for pure Gurmukhi practice.
What this book is really about
For grown-ups: the crow talks straight to your child and keeps asking to eat the cow's grass. He tries flattery, a terrible cow disguise and a single blade of grass. Your child keeps saying no, and the crow repeats it back in outrage, so they see in print the word they just shouted. In the end the cow simply offers him some. Nobody learns a lesson. It's just very funny to be the one saying no.
“Cow! Grass! Grass! Grass!”
“Eat? Eat? Yes?” The crow is asking YOU.
Well? Can he? (Your turn: shout ਨਾ!)
“No? No?” He can't believe it.
“The crow is lovely! Lovely! Eat? Yes?”
Well? (Shout it again!)
“A crow? No! A cow! Eat? Yes?”
Is he a cow? (Tell him!)
“Just one bit of grass… Eat? Yes? Yes? Yes?”
Just one? (What do you say?)
“No! No! No! No!”
“Shoo! Shoo!” He's not talking to you any more.
The cow stops chewing.
“Eat,” says the cow.
Words in this book
- ਗਾਂ gaan cow
- ਕਾਂ kaan crow
- ਹਾਂ haan yes
- ਸੋਹਣਾ sohna lovely, beautiful
- ਖਾ khaa eat
After this book, your child can read 5 Punjabi words. Read it together, then let them read it back to you — the repetition is where the reading comes from.
Where to go next
- Sikh children's books Illustrated stories to read together — Fateh Singh, Simran Kaur, and the Gurus.
- Shabad Stories Bilingual bedtime books built around a single line of Gurbani.
- Punjabi picture dictionary Hundreds of everyday Gurmukhi words with pictures, to grow the words they know.
- Learn Gurmukhi Letters, matras and tracing worksheets — the writing side of the same skill.