Tender, witty, and irresistibly readable.
Sherrard’s compelling collection of fifty short stories traces the life of a boy who grew up in motion—packing, unpacking, and discovering meaning in the small wonders of a postwar world. The stories in the collection hold the immediacy of recollection and the calm of hindsight. Some are lively and mischievous: pulling a fire alarm in “Don’t Pull That Fire Alarm!” or losing a cat in “We’re Not Going Back for a Cat!” Others shimmer with tenderness and reflection, like “The Little Girl Who Waved Every Day,” where a poor French child’s unwavering smile becomes a lifelong lesson in hope. 
In “A Pony and Some Cows” and “Prince and Haying Time on the Farm,” he finds moral education in farm chores and animal companionship, while “Granddad’s Adventures in the Canadian Arctic” captures the thrill and peril of a landscape both unforgiving and sublime. Built around conversations with his granddaughter, the book moves beyond memory to capture what connects generations. As the narrative unfolds, the bond between “Granddad” and Claire turns memory into legacy, evoking the quiet intimacy of stories shared at a kitchen table long after supper is done.
Sherrard writes with thankfulness rather than sentiment. His language is simple, measured, and alive to both joy and fear. Through clear, unfussy prose and gentle humor, he captures the moral landscape of mid-century Canada, with all its decency, resilience, and quiet faith in small good acts. In the end, every story, playful or serious, points to the same truth: character grows out of ordinary experience.
A quietly powerful celebration of storytelling across generations that makes for a must-read.