Our Spot

Every Thursday evening, a little girl and her papa go to the same spot by the water. It is their secret fishing spot that the little girl’s mother found a long time ago and they used to visit as a family. Now, it is just the little girl and her papa. The little girl loves to breath in the fresh air and to listen to the gentle sound of the water lapping against the shore. She ties the fishing line to her pole, just like her mama taught her. She hopes one day to catch the same walleye her mama caught when the little girl was a baby. It is one of the girl’s favourite stories to hear her papa recite.

Although they don’t talk a lot, both father and daughter allow the time they have together each Thursday evening to simply enjoy each other’s company. They each relish in their own memories and wait for the thrill of catching a fish. When it is time to head back home, the little girl skips a rock and looks forward to the next time they’ll go back to their special spot. She peacefully dreams of her mama and catching her fish.

Our Spot is a beautiful story that shows the power of remembrance and tradition when faced with grief. It is clear the little girl has lost her mom at a young age, but she has learned to cope with her grief by spending time with her dad every Thursday night fishing. Father and daughter continue to keep the memory of Mama alive though this shared activity and the little’s goal of catching the same fish her mama once caught.

The soft and beautiful watercolour and oil illustrations by Grimard convey the calm and peace that is felt by both characters when they visit their special spot. Readers can see the joy on the little girl’s face when she catches a fish and how at peace she is when she sleeps despite her grief.

Although the undertones of this story are sad, Our Spot is a great book to talk about grief and ways of coping with grief with young or elementary-aged children whether they have personal experience or caregivers need a way to explore the topic with them.