This illustrated version of MacDonald's masterpiece brings most of the signature elements of Willcox Smith's work. It has a full-colored cover, pictorial title page, eight full page illustrations (all full-color), and a pictorial endpaper (in different shades of blue) at the beginning and at the end of the book.

Jessie Willcox Smith was one of the most prolific and successful illustrators of her time. Many believe she deserves the title of the best children's illustrator in USA ever. Distinctive part of her achievement was definitely an introduction of realism in the illustration what is definitely connected with her other artistic love - photography. She often used photographies of her models and sometimes even people she have seen accidentally for studies of her illustration. We can see such examples in all presented illustrations in this book to at least some degree, although she is dealing with themes from the fantasy area.

Children were her favorite subject, sometimes alone or with other kids, in different domestic or other everyday situations, sometimes with adults (preferably mothers) and sometimes with animals (like horses). Her work on At the Back of the North Wind gave her opportunity to explore all her favorite themes.

This story is essentially about death, the meaning of life (and beyond), religion, and spirituality. Such serious words demand appropriate approach from an illustrator and Willcox Smith showed her respect with darker colors than she usually used, yet still remaining in the field of childhood, where the author, who was dealing with illness and death of his son, tried to stay as well.