Cosmo Gets an Ear

Cosmo has “terrible hearing” according to his sister, Alice. “In fact, one day when he was watching a war movie, the bombs were BOOM-BOOMING so loud and the machine guns were RAT-A-TAT-TATTING with such racket that [their] mother took [Cosmo] right away to get his ears checked (4-5).” Sure enough, Dr Mussedhair confirmed that Cosmo had a hearing loss and suggested he wear a hearing aid. Cosmo isn’t too sure about the idea of a hearing aid. He and his friend, Gilbert, think of ways to find Cosmo’s lost hearing, but nothing works. Finally its time to go back to see Dr. Mussedhair and pick up Cosmo’s new hearing aid. Upon putting on his hearing aid for the first time, “Cosmo’s eyes immediately lit up. He couldn’t believe how clear Dr. Mussedhair sounded. He even heard a chirping parakeet in the background and an old, squeaky door being closed behind him—small sounds that he never heard that well before (34).” Even though Cosmo can hear better with his aid, he’s still worried about what the kids at school are going to think. He doesn’t want to be different.

Cosmo Gets an Ear is a fun, interactive book that tells the story of a young boy getting his first hearing aid. Cosmo goes through a range of emotions about the experience of wearing a hearing aide for the first time. First he must cope with loss of his hearing and then work through his fears and uncertainties about wearing a hearing aid and how others will respond to him. Author, Gary Clemente, is a hearing aid user just like his character, Cosmo. “His hope for the book is to show that wearing a hearing aid can be a pleasant experience for children and a door to open up a new world (back-cover).” Children who have a hearing loss may be able to identify with Cosmo and their own experience of wearing hearing aids.

The fun and humorous style of Cosmo Gets an Ear would attract a variety of readers. Almost every page is written like a multiple-choice question with silly answer options along with the truth according to Cosmo’s sister, the story’s narrator. Alice portrays her brother as an energetic young boy who is always on the go. At times she feels bad for Cosmo and the anxiety and sadness he is going through, but by the end, she is proud of him for accepting his hearing loss and willingly wearing his new hearing aid. The ending also portrays the positive acceptance of Cosmo’s classmates when they find our about his hearing aid. “Before he knew it, everybody was crowing around Cosmo. They all wanted to touch it, see it, feel it—even look at the tiny battery inside (42).” One of the correct answers to Alice’s multiple-choice question includes, “Cosmo learned never to judge things too soon (42).” This sends another important message to the reader that is not necessarily directly connected to hearing loss.

Cosmo’s experience is realistic with an overall positive message about hearing loss and wearing hearing aids. He has mixed emotions about getting hearing aids, which is common for many people. It is important for young readers to recognize that their own peers may use hearing aids and that they aren’t something only grandparents have. Cosmo as a fun, dynamic character certainly promotes a positive image of children with a hearing loss.

Clemente, Gary. Cosmo Gets an Ear. Los Alamitos: Modern Signs Press, Inc, 1994.