This enjoyable tale begins with Sir Christopher wearing his bearskin hat and his family on a beautiful sunny day at the beach. After the family finishes their meal and lay down for a nap, Sir Christopher’s memories wander back to the time of his birth.

In London Stanislaw Kozako, a Polish immigrant and doll maker by trade chiseled his block of wood in the image of the Queen’s guards. Stanislaw’s wife and daughters quickly went to work in making his uniform and hat complete with chinstrap.

After a trip to Buckingham Palace to give glimpse of his creation to the guards on duty, the U.S. Ambassador and his family pull up in their car to see Stanislaw’s doll. This in return leads the Ambassador to take Stanislaw and his family to meet the queen. The queen is so taken by his work that she requests more of these delightful creations, making Stanislaw the “master doll maker of the queen.”

Sir Christopher was then sold to the Ambassador’s daughter, Sally. Sally took him everywhere. Now on Cape Cod, a bad storm is on the brink, as lightning strikes and thunder roars. In a mad dash they pack up and race for the car. Unknowingly Sir Christopher falls out of the basket and quickly engulfed by the incoming waves is swept out to sea.

At sea a shark takes off one of his legs. Battered and dented Sir Christopher is thrusted onto the coast of Maine. The next day Sir Christopher is rescued by a retired sea captain named, Toby Chase. 70 year-old Chase repairs the doll by giving him a peg leg and the new name of Captain Joshua. Chase presents Capt. Joshua to his crippled grandson, Matthew, as a means of coaxing the boy out of his self-pity.

Award winning author Richard Wainwright, once again displays the magic of words that is a heartwarming story of a beautiful, wooden toy soldier and the effect he has on the various children who own him. Truly delightful and highly recommend the audio cd for younger children.