When Dudley's family watch the dog show on television, they admire the prize winners for their beauty, their height, and their intelligence. Dudley is sad because he is none of these things. That night he decides to transform himself, and with the family-s wise-eyed cat looking on, he sprays his ears so they stand straight up, ties colourful balls of wool around his legs, puts on high heels to make himself tall, and paints spots on his fur. When the family come downstairs in the morning, he collapses in a heap, and after they have stopped laughing, they give him lots of hugs and tell him how special he is. The pen and wash illustrations have comic appeal, and Dudley's self-esteem is well and truly restored. A nicely judged moral tale on being oneself.