There used to be a time when marvelous skyrockets could be purchased for a dime and the iceman came around once a week, when throwing a cap on and off took special talent and pants had watch pockets. When John Gould was young it didn't take much to amuse a boy. A boy would wake up in the morning ready to be "amazed all day long at all manner of things."

Warmth, humor, nostalgia--these pages are filled with them, all conveyed lovingly in John Gould's signature wit. For anyone who has ever been young and wants to remember or just laugh with Gould as he recounts his experiences growing up in another era.