Dolores Meets Her Match    by Barbara Samuels Order:  USA  Can Farrar Straus & Giroux, 2007 (2007) Hardcover Read an Excerpt     Reviewed by Hilary Daninhirsch Barbara Samuels has created a new book in her series starring the ever charming Dolores. A competition ensues between Dolores and Hillary, the new girl in town, over their cats. Previously, Dolores had the market on cats, but suddenly, Hillary's cat Harold seems more talented and more pedigreed than her own cat, Duncan. Harold can even say Meow seven different ways! Both Harold and Hillary steal Duncan's and Dolores' thunder. Despite Dolores' sister's constant advice to 'let Duncan be Duncan,' Dolores frantically tries to turn Duncan into a new and improved version of himself. When the two cats come to school for show and tell, the fur really begins to fly when Hillary's papier-mache maze backfires. Dolores learns to appreciate Duncan for who he is. Ultimately, Dolores and Hillary join forces to create the best cat school in town: Hillary demonstrates the grooming salon on Harold, while Duncan demonstrates his relaxation techniques. Dolores learns an important lesson: '"I've decided to let Duncan be Duncan." "That's good," said Faye. "And let Harold be Harold," said Dolores. "Great," said Faye. "And even let Hillary be Hillary," said Dolores. "Because, you have to admit, Faye, together we are truly amazing!"'  Fans of the Dolores series will appreciate the ebullient, whimsical drawings. The fun is in the details, and children will enjoy looking closely at the pictures and studying all the little extras. Note that Dolores and her cat were first featured in a 1996 book by Samuels, aptly entitled, Duncan and Dolores. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Kids books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews