How I Lost My Ear
The fun-filled novel by Adam Beck, in the spirit of Roald Dahl, for both children and adults.
How I Lost My Ear
Finalist in both the Readers’ Favorite 2019 International Book Award Contest and the 2019 IAN Book of the Year Awards, How I Lost My Ear is the action-packed, laugh-out-loud novel by author Adam Beck and illustrator Simon Farrow. A wildly entertaining adventure for all ages, to read alone or read aloud, the story spirals forward with a book-loving boy, a marching band, a moody grandmother with beautiful blond curls, a long-lost hero and his three-legged moose, a dancing bear, a poisonous spider, a baby-snatching owl, a shaggy yak of a man and his snapping turtle, a herd of 144 spitting llamas—and a very large, very hungry ogre.
- Available worldwide in paperback and PDF e-book
High praise from leaders in the field of children’s entertainment
A rave review by Rich Follett for Readers’ Favorite
“Adam Beck’s How I Lost My Ear is a marvelously comic, wonderfully wise, delightfully imaginative and deliriously unpredictable epic adventure. In Boony Point, young Ben Boyd covets a pair of ruby red bongo drums, seemingly tailor-made for his superstar tryout for the Marching Moose – the town’s pride and joy. Never mind that bongo drums have not previously been seen or heard in the community’s iconic marching band; Ben is determined and has the most deliciously eccentric support crew in the history of children’s literature to help him reach his goal.
Along the way, Ben contends with a practical-joking grandma fixated on crab apples harvested with the dew still on them, a monster to slay, a mystery to solve, the twists and turns of his never-ending quest to be a Member of the Marching Moose, and his own deep-seated need to overcome his unwanted nickname: Butterfingers. The drama is high, the pathos is non-stop, and the comedy is as whimsical and witty as any to be found in the realm of fiction for the young. Although How I Lost My Ear is listed as being intended for pre-teen readers, it has much to offer readers of any age who are willing to allow themselves to be young at heart long enough to become swept up in the merriment. Adam Beck is a master storyteller and a master of invention, and How I Lost My Ear is un-put-down-able.
Simon Farrow’s playful illustrations are a perfect match for Beck’s unique storyline. They capture both the eccentricity of the characters and the absurdity of the incredible situations in which they find themselves, time and again. Adam Beck’s How I Lost My Ear is always fresh, always a surprise; in short, an ideal antidote for the mundane cares of ordinary life for readers of all ages.”

From 5-star reviews at Amazon
About the book
Friends, I’m thrilled to share this book with you because, honestly, it’s the biggest, most fulfilling creative work I’ve ever completed. (From start to finish it’s been about 10 years in the making!) I’m really happy with how it turned out and I hope you and your family will enjoy my humorous, high-spirited story!
While this book is a work of fiction and not directly related to raising bilingual kids—which makes it different from my popular nonfiction books Maximize Your Child’s Bilingual Ability and Bilingual Success Stories Around the World—all of these books keep Bilingual Monkeys and The Bilingual Zoo going and growing, and enable me to continue offering these resources, completely free, for everyone.
So, as with Maximize Your Child’s Bilingual Ability and I WANT TO BE BILINGUAL!, when you purchase a copy of How I Lost My Ear, or gift one to a friend, your support truly benefits us both as well as many others out in the world.












About the story
Grandpa Gristle spins the story of a book-loving boy and his spiraling adventure with a state champion marching band, a moody grandmother with beautiful blond curls, a long-lost hero and his three-legged moose, a dancing bear, a poisonous spider, a baby-snatching owl, a shaggy yak of a man and his snapping turtle, a cold-hearted sheriff and his grinning deputy, a herd of 144 spitting llamas—and a very large, very hungry ogre.
While the reading level is geared for middle grades, it’s the sort of fun, playful story—in the spirit of books by Roald Dahl—that’s entertaining for older teens and adults, too.
Illustrations from the book
Simon is a brilliant illustrator and I was so fortunate to be able to work with him!
Read sample pages
Read the first 11 pages of the story right now! Just click the link below to download this excerpt in a free PDF file…
Get a copy of How I Lost My Ear
The paperback is available at Amazon, Amazon UK, the global Amazon sites, and other booksellers.
Bulk orders for the paperback—for schools, groups, and booksellers—can be made by contacting me directly.


Please help me spread the word…
Enjoy the book and share your impressions by posting a review at Amazon, Amazon UK, the global Amazon sites, Goodreads, and other sites online. (Even a short review is fine!) Reviews are so important for spreading the enjoyment of this book with the world and I’d be really grateful for your support in this way. (I’d love to hear from you personally, too, with your impressions!)
Tell others about the book through social media and word-of-mouth. Many thanks for sharing these links…
1. the link to this page you’re now reading: https://bilingualmonkeys.com/how-i-lost-my-ear-book
2. this link to my author page at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Adam-Beck/e/B01EKPRIE6/
3. this link to my author page at Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Adam-Beck/e/B01EKPRIE6/
If you run a blog or website, please consider posting something about How I Lost My Ear. For inquiries related to reviews, interviews, or other posts, please contact me.