Matilda loves dressing up her long-suffering dog, Basil. Day and night she parades him in a series of outfits, from tutus to superhero costumes - none of them suited to a big clumsy Labrador who would rather just wear his collar. But one day Matilda's mum decides to come to his rescue. She takes Matilda and her siblings to the zoo. As they look at the animals, she paints a picture for the children with her words, helping them to see how silly the animals would look if they were dressed up in a variety of outrageous costumes. Will Matilda take the lesson to heart and stop having dog dress-up days for poor Basil?