KT KIDS- ANIMAL WORLD- BOOKl

CHAPTER ONE

THE BEST VIEW IN THE KALAHARI

Micah had discovered something wonderful about being a meerkat.

If you stood on your hind legs, stretched your neck, and lifted your nose toward the sky, you could see an astonishing amount of the world.

You could see the golden grasses moving across the dry plains, the scattered shrubs growing between patches of sandy soil, and the distant shapes of trees standing against the enormous African sky. On a particularly clear morning, you could even see the dark line of hills far beyond the feeding grounds.

At least, Micah was fairly certain he could see the hills.

He had never actually looked for them.

Most mornings, he was far too busy watching Kellan.

Kellan was one of the older meerkats in Micah's mob, and he had a remarkable talent for making standing still look important. While the others searched for food, Kellan would climb onto a raised mound, straighten his slender body, and carefully survey the surrounding country. His dark eye markings gave him a serious expression, and his long tail helped him balance as he turned to watch the sky and the land around him.

Micah admired everything about it.

He especially admired the way the others listened whenever Kellan made a call.

Micah had been practicing his own important-looking stance for several mornings, although nobody seemed particularly impressed by it.

His older sister, Joelle, was the first to notice him that day.