l to r: Kate Beaton and Sydney Smith.

There are picture books meant for children, and others that are meant for all ages. Rebecca, written by Kate Beaton (Ducks, King Baby) and illustrated by Sydney Smith (Sidewalk Flowers, I Talk Like a River), falls into the latter category.

Rebecca is the story of Beaton’s “grandmother’s grandfather’s grandmother,” who lived a quiet, peaceful life on an isolated island with her husband, David (Beaton calls him “Father” in the book), and their children. Their days are filled with storytelling and warm fires, and the hard work that’s necessary for survival – but that work is sometimes dangerous, too. Father dies when he falls through the ice while hunting, and the family has to adapt to a life without him. 

Despite her grief, Rebecca carries on with all the work that needs to be done so her family can remain safe, healthy, and fed on the island. Years pass and Rebecca continues on, with sorrow as a frequent companion. The children grow, find their own partners, have their own children, and the house fills back up until it’s time for sorrow to return again.

Illustration: Sydney Smith.

Beaton wrote this story after the loss of her sister Becky (another Rebecca), and the writing is both delicate and raw. There’s affection and care in her portrayal of the cozy little household; her descriptions of loss are poignant and powerful, particularly as Rebecca heads down to the shore to look for Father and sees the broken ice floes. Here, Beaton writes:

There is no reason for Father to have gone through them
when he has been out there so many times before, in all kinds of weather,
And there is no reason for him to be lost to them now, forever.
Except that is how the sea is sometimes,
as every fisherman’s wife knows.

Smith’s illustrations are just as meaningful and well-crafted as Beaton’s prose. The tone of the art is similar to his work on Joanne Schwartz’s Town Is by the Sea, with its warm tones and unflinching look at the harsh historical realities of rural Nova Scotia. In Rebecca, he uses a gestural, minimalist style that manages to capture both the family’s simple island life and Rebecca’s emotion as she runs down the hill towards the shore.

Through their combined art, Beaton and Smith’s Rebecca is a lovely reflection on grief and loss. Rebecca is a beautiful book for the right child, but adults will find it more meaningful – especially those who know sorrow all too well.

This article contains affiliate links. Quill & Quire has partnered with Booksellers.ca, a network of more than 180 independent bookstores across Canada, so we may earn a small commission when you purchase through links on our site — at no additional cost to you. More about Booksellers.ca.