Short stories, interactive books and science books for young children, all free to read.
Playgroup learning in Pakistan
Playgroup learning in Pakistan does not have to cost anything. Qalam and Kitab gives children from Playgroup to Class 3 free short stories, interactive books and Explore books that teach counting, colours, shapes, animals, plants and the human body through play. Read together for ten minutes a day, stop at each activity and let your child lead. Start with Short Stories, move on to Interactive Books, then try Explore.
Questions about Playgroup
Which ages are Playgroup books for?
Is Playgroup free?
How should we read together?
Do I need to buy anything?
Which Playgroup page should we start with?
- Short Stories: pick this for bedtime and one-sitting reading, with stories such as Zain’s Day of Wonder.
- Interactive Books: pick this when your child wants to count, clap, guess and act, with books such as Nani’s Ten Mangoes and The Colour Train.
- Explore: pick this for curious questions about animals, rain, plants and the body, with books such as Where Does Rain Come From? and My Five Senses.
Want to try before you register? Read Chapter 1 of all twenty Premium stories on Free Story Previews, with no account.
More from Qalam and Kitab
Have an older child too? These pages are free to open.
- Online Reads: free books on study skills, money, careers and technology for older students.
- Student Challenges and the Solutions Hub: Pakistan’s exams, tests and competitions with free preparation guides.
- Free Chapters: Chapter 1 of any book with no account.
- All books and free account: every book type in one place.
- Print and Copy, FAQ, Site Guide and Site Map.
Premium Originals, Written In-House
Twenty brand-new storybooks inspired by heritage qissas and village tales — exclusive Qalam & Kitab originals.
The Junior Detective: Karachi Mystery Chronicles
⭐ Premium · Solve riddles, crack a number code and add up the clues to follow Mamu's secret trail across Karachi.
Zara & Ali’s Great Indus Safari
⭐ Premium · Travel up Pakistan with Zara and Ali to meet the Indus river dolphin, the markhor and the snow leopard.
Where Is Mango the Cat Hiding?
⭐ Premium · Mango the cat is playing hide-and-seek all over the house. Guess every hiding spot with Bilal before you peek!
My Amazing Body
⭐ Premium · Feel your heartbeat, fill your lungs and count on your bones: a hands-on first look at how your body…
Why Do We Have Day and Night?
⭐ Premium · Discover why the sun rises and sets, where the moon gets its light, and act out day and night…
My Five Senses
⭐ Premium · See, hear, smell, taste and touch: explore a busy bazaar with your five senses and play a guessing game…
A Seed Becomes a Tree
⭐ Premium · What does a tiny seed need to grow? Watch a root, a shoot and green leaves appear, then sprout…
Where Does Rain Come From?
⭐ Premium · Follow a drop of water from the river up into a cloud and back down as rain, then make…
Amazing Animals of Pakistan
⭐ Premium · Meet the markhor, the snow leopard, the Indus river dolphin and the chukar, and discover where each one lives…
How Do You Feel, Mehr?
⭐ Premium · Happy, sad, angry or scared: name big feelings with Mehr, show them on your face, and learn a calm-down…
Bilal’s Big Bus Ride
⭐ Premium · People get on and off the bus at every stop. Add and take away with Bilal and work out…
Shapes in Ammi’s Kitchen
⭐ Premium · Round roti, three-cornered samosa, square tiles: find circles, triangles and squares in a busy kitchen and draw them in…