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Summary
Summary
Dolores discovers ballet - and the limits of friendship "Duncan is my best friend," Dolores says about her cat. "And best friends do everything together." So when Dolores gets caught up in the world of ballet, she's certain that Duncan will love it as much as she does. But will he? When Duncan suddenly disappears, Dolores is heartbroken. Is it possible that her best friend, wearing her best tutu, has run away from home? In order to track down Duncan (and her tutu), Dolores turns detective - and in the process discovers a few things aboutwhat it means to be a friend.From the lively endpapers to the surprising finale, this is full of spunk and spirit - and the fun of spotting Duncan in all the places Dolores doesn't look!
Author Notes
Barbara Samuels' s previous books about Dolores and Duncan include Aloha, Dolores , an American Bookseller Pick of the Lists and a Reading Rainbow Review Book. She lives in New York City.
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-Dolores is an aspiring ballerina who wants her best friend, her cat, to share in the fun. She eagerly rehearses her arabesques, but Duncan is a reluctant dance partner. Dolores is oblivious to his displeasure and even dresses him up. As Tutu Day approaches, the feline disappears wearing her pink tulle skirt. Dolores is distraught and borrows her sister's "Patsy Porter Junior Detective Kit" to look for clues. With magnifying glass in hand, she searches the apartment building for her missing pet. She covers the neighborhood with posters: "Wanted: Black, white and orange cat last seen wearing tutu." Her final strategy is to try to think like a cat. Her clever sleuthing pays off and, reunited with her beloved pet, she vows, "I promise, Duncan, never to make you do another pli? again." The witty text is matched with energetic watercolor illustrations, sometimes as many as eight per page, that humorously depict Duncan's hide-and-seek adventure and Dolores's frantic search.-Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
In Dolores on Her Toes by Barbara Samuels, a companion to Aloha, Dolores, the sprightly young heroine wants to be a ballerina and she naturally assumes that her cat shares her aspirations. But when the feline disappears before Tutu Day, Dolores learns his true feelings. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
Dolores and her cat, Duncan, are back--sort of: the latter goes AWOL, clearly tired of being used as aspiring ballerina Dolores's practice partner. As usual, the visual jokes and sight gags (readers will be able to spot Duncan even when Dolores can't) and Dolores's Ramona Quimbyûlike spunk distinguish Samuels's books from much other child-and-pet picture book fare. From HORN BOOK Fall 2003, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
PreS^-Gr. 2. Delightful Dolores returns. In Aloha Dolores (2000), she was trying to win a trip to Hawaii. Now she's excited about the upcoming Tutu Day at ballet school. Integral to the story once more is Dolores' cat, Duncan, who Dolores believes wants to participate in Tutu Day as much as she does--hence the ribbons in his hair, his (forced) participation in a pas de deux, and, of course, a tutu of his own. All the fuss causes Duncan to take a powder. Will Dolores find him in time for them to make their debut? There is a lot to look and laugh at in the illustrations. Full-size pictures alternate with small vignettes, sometimes three or four different scenes tumbling across the page. In the beginning, these pictures follow Dolores as she prepares herself (and Duncan) for the recital. But when the pizza man leaves the door open and Duncan sprints out of the apartment, alert children will follow the cat as he darts in and out of the spreads, always one step ahead of his ballet partner. The final, funny scene at the recital brings a climax that deserves applause. This has all the elements of a terrific picture book: a fresh concept, a story and text that work together, and so much going on that children will want a second or third reading just to catch each hidden giggle. --Ilene Cooper