A heartwarming book that teaches the importance of responsibility and love for a pet   Eric was given a dog for his eighth birthday-that was nearly a year ago. The dog, named Ugly (because he is just that), settles into Eric's family but is not attached to Eric in any way. In fact, Ugly prefers everyone else in the family! Eric has several crazy ideas to make Ugly love him, but Ugly is not swayed. Eric slowly comes to realize that in order to win over Ugly, he has to put in time, effort, and most importantly, show him love and affection. A life lesson wrapped up in a beautifully told story that will resonate with kids and parents-and pet lovers.