Ted Goodden admits that he struggled with this book. Over a period of 25 years, it was not so much rewritten as encouraged to evolve. In this final version, Ted Goodden uses active verbs to describe Gert's time in the woods, allowing the boy to take on real agency, even before he meets Anna. This change may seem small, but Ted Goodden points out, "Gert has to cooperate in his own fate, otherwise he becomes a victim." He credits his brother Herman Goodden for being a "sympathetic" editor, targeting only three sentences for revision. He thanks James Reaney Jr. and Stan Dragland for their encouragement.

For Ted Goodden the book is about balance, "how to become a useful person, and not lose the childlike qualities we value in ourselves and others." Essentially, glory traps are those things that suck the wonder out of everyday life. Yet, Ted Goodden says, stained glass, his artistic medium of choice, can also trap glory. "We see things by light, but we don't see light itself, however, stained glass can trap the light and break it up."

Ted Goodden uses both collage and stained glass to illuminate Gert's somewhat circular journey. He is quick to point out that the collages are not simply studies, they are works of art in their own right.

Although Glory Boy is marketed as a children's book, Ted Goodden has successfully created a book that appeals to all ages. This is the simple tale of a boy who gets so caught up in
activity, that he loses his sense of wonder and appreciation, like collectors sometimes do.

(words by Beth Stewart)