Award-winning author Earl Vincent de Berge will offer his bestselling young adult fantasy ebook 'Big Ears Jack and Friends' at no charge on Amazon from April 14 through April 16, 2025. The book, which won Best In Category 2024, Nonfiction, from the Arizona Authors Association, features 15 short fantasy stories celebrating the wildlife of Baja California, the world's narrowest peninsula and hottest desert in the Americas.
The collection follows Big Ears Jack, a jackrabbit with magical powers who helps his desert friends through adventures involving coyotes, dragonflies, kangaroo rats, and dust devils. Supporting characters include mischievous coyote brothers Nosey and Wag, racing dragonfly Blue Dasher, the Kangaroo Rat Chorus, tree-lizard Boris, and puma poet Paulina. The Arizona Authors Association review praised the book's world-building, noting how de Berge "weaves the flora and fauna of Baja California into the narrative, making the setting feel like a character itself."
This free promotion provides an opportunity for readers aged 12 and up to access educational content that balances captivating storytelling with environmental themes. The book explores community, creativity, and environmental respect while offering witty dialogue and magical adventures. School librarians may find the book valuable for catalogs as it combines entertainment with information about desert ecosystems. The ebook will be available free at https://www.amazon.com/Ears-Jack-Friends-Earl-Berge-ebook/dp/B0DM6PR8HW during the promotion period.
De Berge's connection to Baja California stems from his earlier memoir 'A Finger of Land on an Old Man's Hand,' which documents four explorers' transformative journey through Baja in 1962 and 1964. That book, inspired by Joseph Wood Krutch's 'The Forgotten Peninsula,' includes previously unreleased vintage photographs of the peninsula. ReaderViews gave it a 5-star review, calling it "the stark, witty, and profound memoir of four college students testing their limits on the Baja Peninsula."
The author's desert experiences inspired 'Big Ears Jack and Friends,' which features Sonoran Desert animals, birds, and plants. De Berge has also published three poetry collections: 'Allegro to Life,' 'Swans to Carry Me,' and 'Wind in the Elephant Tree.' More information about his work is available at https://www.earldeberge.com/, including excerpts from his books and selected photos from his memoir.
