Why Kimba Saved The World: Cats in the Mirror, #1

By Meg Dendler

Would your cat save you?

How can a young cat pick between everything she has ever wanted and everyone she has ever loved? Kimba lives the carefree life of a much-loved house cat, but what she really wants is freedom and the wild life for which she was born. Then she learns a secret that changes everything, including her destiny. Will she join this mysterious cat conspiracy? Kimba must choose between the freedom she craves and the human family she loves.

This first book in the Cats in the Mirror middle grade chapter book series has been honored with a Mom's Choice Award, a Moonbeam Children's Book Award, and is Story Monster Approved.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Meg Welch Dendler
• Release date: May 5, 2013
• ISBN: 9781732380677

Meg Dendler

Meg Dendler has considered herself a writer since she won a picture book contest in 5th grade and entertained her classmates with ongoing sequels for the rest of the year. Beginning serious work as a freelancer in the '90s while teaching elementary and middle school, Meg has over one hundred articles in print, including interviews with Kirk Douglas, Sylvester Stallone, and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. She has won contests with her short stories and poetry, along with multiple international awards for her best-selling "Cats in the Mirror" alien rescue cat children's book series. "Bianca: The Brave Frail and Delicate Princess" was honored as Best Juvenile Book of 2018 by the Oklahoma Writers' Federation. Meg is an editor with Pen-L Publishing and also does editing work for independent and self-publishing authors. Meg and her family live in Northwest Arkansas. Visit her at www.megdendler.com for more information about upcoming books and events and all of Meg's social media links. You can also follow Kimba on Facebook and Twitter.

Book preview

Why Kimba Saved The World

WHY KIMBA SAVED THE WORLD

MEG WELCH DENDLER

Serenity Mountain Publishing

CONTENTS

Also by Meg Welch Dendler

Preface

Photo

Prologue

Chapter 1

HUNTING

Chapter 2

IMPOSSIBLE DECISION

Chapter 3

SAVED

Chapter 4

WRESTLING THOUGHTS

Chapter 5

GROWING UP

Chapter 6

PRICE OF FREEDOM

Chapter 7

NEW FRIENDS

Chapter 8

THE BIG BLACK BEAST

Chapter 9

SETTLED LIFE

Chapter 10

FIRST CONTACT

Chapter 11

CAT IN THE MIRROR

Chapter 12

FIRST ASSIGNMENT

Chapter 13

FIRST REPORT

Chapter 14

MISSED OPPORTUNITY

Chapter 15

OUTSIDE

Chapter 16

EMBARRASSING REPORT

Chapter 17

MACHINES

Chapter 18

CODE WORD

Chapter 19

QUESTIONS STILL UNANSWERED

Chapter 20

DECISIONS, DECISIONS

Chapter 21

TIME FOR ACTION

Chapter 22

HACKED

Chapter 23

FINAL REPORT

Epilogue

Sample Chapter of Vacation Hiro

Vacation Hiro, Chapter 1

SPRING BREAK

Cats in the Mirror Series

Companion Books

Also by Meg Welch Dendler

For Older Readers

Review Request

Author’s Note

Gratitude

Words You May Not Know

About the Author

Cats in the Mirror Series

Book 1: Why Kimba Saved The World

Book 2: Vacation Hiro

Book 3: Miss Fatty Cat's Revenge

Book 4: Slinky Steps Out

Book 5: Kimba’s Christmas

Book 6: Snickerdoodle’s Shenanigans

And the Companion Books

Max's Wild Night

Dottie's Daring Day

Also by Meg Welch Dendler

Bianca: The Brave Frail and Delicate Princess

Bianca: Journey to Ryuugito

For Older Readers

At the Corner of Magnetic and Main

The Tigran Chronicles

Published by Serenity Mountain Publishing

Springdale, AR

Why Kimba Saved The World

©2013 by Meg Welch Dendler.

All rights reserved.

www.megdendler.com

Second Edition, 2018

ISBN: 978-1732380677

Cover art by Lesley Hollinger Vernon.

Cover adapted for Second Edition by Kelsey Rice.

Photos by Scott and Meg Dendler.

No part of this book, text or photos, may be copied, reproduced, or shared in any form without the written consent of the author. All copyright laws apply.

Vellum flower icon Created with Vellum

The characters and events in this book are not based on real events.

Well, maybe a little bit.

But the names have been changed to protect the innocent.

Sometimes.

Kimba and Hiro as kittens in a cozy pillow bed.

Hiro and Kimba, a few weeks old, with a stuffed mama cat, in their bathtub nursery.

PROLOGUE

Some cats are born on Earth and never know who they really are. Others are sent. They are undercover for their years on Earth. They know who they are. They know that they are not from Earth at all. And they are part of a bigger plan.

Kimba and Hiro are the first kind of cat. Their mother could have explained things—told them who they really are. But they were accidentally separated from her the day they were born. These sisters would learn to call a human Mama. They would know nothing about the grand plan and their own destiny. Life would be simple and carefree.

But it wouldn’t stay that way.

CHAPTER 1

HUNTING

Kimba, the silent hunter, lay hidden from view. Peeking up over the edge, ears laid flat, she could just see her victim stroll by, completely unaware of the danger lurking nearby.

Preparing for the attack, the sleek white lion’s tail twitched ever so slightly. The muscles on her haunches tightened. Then POW, she leapt into the open, deadly claws splayed and fangs ready for the kill. The mighty beast landed perfectly on her target, her tail a-puff and the fur on her back at full attention. And now, for the final bite to the throat!

Aaaahhwwwwooo! Hiro yelled. And then, mostly annoyed as her sister pretended to take a death grip on her neck, Get off!

With some minor hissing and a bit of a tussle, the sisters ended up in a furry pile—leaving even more fur on the bathroom floor behind them—with Kimba on top. Then the hunt was over. Kimba, the skinny white kitten, had defeated her prey.

Kimba took a moment to lick the fur flat on her befuddled sister’s head, and then she began grooming her own fur back into place. Hiro staggered to her feet, shook herself off, and wandered into the bedroom for a nap.

Totally worth it, Kimba thought as she licked and smoothed. Once she was done and every hair was back in place, she climbed back into the tub to lie in wait for the next victim. Kimba, the master hunter, the white lion, was on the prowl.

Watching through the bathroom mirror, the somber gray cat was not amused. He understood that they were special and important, but how in the world was he ever going to make decent agents out of these two balls of fluff? It would take a few lies, most certainly. It would take some firmness and absolute determination.

It would take a miracle.

CHAPTER 2

IMPOSSIBLE DECISION

How can anyone choose between everything she ever wanted and everyone she ever loved? It is an impossible decision to make. But Kimba had to choose, and there was no way out of it.

Those days of playing in the bathroom were long behind her now. These days she avoided the bathroom. In there, someone was always watching.

From the first day her eyes opened, Kimba had known that she and her sister were different from the others around them. But it had never mattered. The furless creatures fed and cared for them. They became her family.

Then came the day of first contact. The day she had mistakenly seen the images in the bathroom mirror. The day when everything changed.

Her mission had been clearly stated. There was no questioning what the stern Cat in the Mirror had asked her to do. But exactly what would happen if she followed through on her given mission, that she didn’t know.

Would it mean the end of all the humans in her house? All the humans in the world? What would happen to them? It might mean that she could live in a world with no rules and total freedom. But where would she live, and how would she find food?

There were so many unanswered questions and so little time to decide her own fate, the fate of the world, but most importantly the fate of her family. The family that loved her. The family that took her in and fed her and cared for her and kept her safe and warm.

Tonight was the night to take action or become a failure to her race—a disgrace to cats everywhere. She had to choose.

It had been a year now since the humans found her, a year that she had lived the carefree life of a house cat who knows nothing about her destiny or who she really is. A year is a long time in the life of a cat, but some things Kimba remembered clearly.

CHAPTER 3

SAVED

As a tiny white kitten, just a day or two old and only the size of a mouse, Kimba could remember hearing her sister calling for help. It seemed like she yelled all day. But no one could hear.

Helloooooooo?! the black-and-white kitten yelled. Is anyone there?! We are so hungry!

Hungry. Kimba still remembered how desperately hungry she had been. So hungry that she couldn’t even move. Since she didn’t know what it meant to open her eyes and look around, the white kitten just tried to sleep. Her sister kept on yelling.

Heeeeelllooooo?! Hiro called to anyone who might possibly hear. Please help!

Then Kimba heard another sound. It was a deep, low voice making soft noises that, for some reason, made her sister yell even louder. Then there was an odd sensation, like floating, that went on for a long time. Then more soft voices and gentle cooing sounds. Some were from the low voice, but there were others now that were high-pitched and squeaky sounding.

The white kitten had really just wanted to sleep and never wake up, but she felt soft rubbings on the top of her head that wouldn’t let her sleep. And then a warm deliciousness was dripped into her mouth. There had never been anything so wonderful in the whole world. It roused her from

Reviews for Why Kimba Saved The World

[adina.m · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Wonderful, fun filled middle grade adventure story, complete with cats from outer space, secret missions, and covert alliances! As Kimba learns who to trust and how to trust her own instincts she either has to save the world or risk destroying it. Everyone will love watching this little kitten get in over her head, and try to climb back out of a sticky situation without letting anyone down or burning the wrong bridges.

[davidlerickson · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This isn't my usual reading fare, but I met Meg at the Ozarks Writer's League and this seemed to be a tale my wife would enjoy. Kathi enjoyed it and felt I may too.The story follows Kimba through her first year, introducing her housemates and the limits of her freedom as a house pet, before the cat in the mirror makes her question her carefree life as she yearns for the freedom of the outside.I was impressed with Meg's characterizations of both the other cats and dog in the house, and their relationship with her human masters. Meg drew this tale from observing the actions of her pets and while we can't know what's going on in their minds, Meg did a great job filling in the blanks. The morsels of historical facts were spot on.The only drawback, I believe, is there was no indication of exactly what an alien cat invasion would entail and how that would impact the human species, nor how cats were able to alter the behavior of humans without being to communicate by any physical means. I think this should've been a tad longer with perhaps some answers as to the how and why. I felt the writing was clean and flowed well. Any cat lover would enjoy this light fare.

[kmt01_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

If you love cats this is the book for you. In addition, youngsters, especially girls, will also love the book. Kimba and her sister Hiro were rescued by a loving family who adopted them. This is the story of their life. Kimba has everything she could ever want: a loving family, a home, toys, food enough, etc. She spends her time as most cats do, wandering around the house, sleeping, checking things out (curiosity killed the cat?). One day, Kimba receives a strange mission from a strange, mysterious cat, who wants her help spying on her family. Will Kimba do this to the family who have adopted her and lovingly cared for her? This new request puts Kimba in a big quandary, as she tries to figure out what she should do. The story revolves around Kimba and her life and her big question of what to do. For cat lovers, the story is wonderful. If the reader is not a cat lover, the story can drag a bit, as it did for me.—I am not a cat lover. In addition, I think the story will definitely appeal to the demographic it is intended for, 9-12 year olds. Though some reviewers have noted that they enjoyed the pictures, I found them distracting. I don’t really like pictures in a book unless they are good quality, not the black and white, grainy type as these were. I also do not think they added anything to the story. The author has definitely written a great book for her intended demographic, though I am not sure the book could appeal to all youngsters 9-12, or to all people, unless, of course, the reader is a cat lover. There is some inherent creativity in the plot that is also very appealing, and it is very current. I received this from Goodreads to read and review.

[sszkutak_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Why Kimba Saved the World is a cute, captivating, and educational story about two kittens found and given a wonderful home with a loving family. It is also an imaginative story about those same kittens being contacted by other cats and given secret missions to complete.As I was reading this book, I was laughing and thinking about my cat, and how he too is a found stray and how many of his first places and movements were similar to Kimba and Hiro’s. I think Cooper (my cat) may too be communicating with and accomplishing his missions with the strange things he does and things he gets into…Any ways. I found Kimba to be a strong cat character and the message behind making hard decisions was present throughout the book. I think it was relatable and adorable and any young or older reader would have a good time picking it up, especially if they are a cat lover.

[lawonder10 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

For cat lovers everywhere, you must read this book! This is a very cute story of how Kimba an Hiro had to decide with whom their loyalties should lie and with whom were they to trust.  This decision could change the world.Kimba & Hiro were found in an alley nearly dead. Their eyes were not even open yet. They were taken to a warm place and given nourishment to sustain them.This story continues into the care they were given that helped them survive. Then, after a year's time, Kimba and Hiro were accosted by an important individual from their past, with an important request, for a very important mission.The dialogue is primarily from Kimba's point of view but the other's in the book also occasionally have their thoughts and views interspersed with Kimba's. By adding a few actual photos,the author aided in the enhancement of her story...makes it more realistic. This is a delightful fantasy.Key points are: family life, compassion, love, rebellion, and choices.This was a complimentary copy given for an honest review of which I have given.