The Illustrated ‘Ode to Labrador

The Illustrated Ode to Labrador is a new treatment of Dr. Harry Paddon’s beloved anthem. Artist Geoff Butler has produced twenty-five vibrant original paintings that feature the various people and regions of The Big Land, executed in oil paint. The introduction by author Robin McGrath outlines the history of the Ode and the life of Dr. Paddon, and in a series of thumbnail vignettes, she puts Butler’s paintings into a cultural and geographic context that amounts to a mini-tour of the Eastern Ungava. The book includes sheet music for the two most familiar tunes to the Ode, with lyrics in English, Inuktitut and Innu-aimun. Paintings and vignettes together make a lively, informative work suitable for cross-generational enjoyment.