In this series, we’ll pick some of our favorite things about Minnesota and share some related book suggestions. (We’re open to your suggestions! Comment below or email us and tell us some of your favorite MN things!)

What on earth is a hodag, you may wonder? According to Merriam-Webster: “a mythical animal reported chiefly from Wisconsin and Minnesota, noted for its ugliness, lateral horns, and hooked tail, and reputed to be outstanding in both ferocity and melancholy.”
Maybe you’d like to learn more about this unique creature? If you’re a Harry Potter fan, JK Rowling has you covered. You can even visit a statue of a hodag over in Rhinelander, WI! Otherwise here are some other suggestions to try:

Hodag: A Happy the Hodag Book by Jill Kuczmarski “Are you a hodag!? Discover what it means to be a hodag in this illustrated rhyming story for the hodag in all of us. Full-color illustrated picture book for all ages starring Happy the Hodag, Buddy the Bulldog and nine new hodags.”

The Terrible Hodag by Caroline Arnold “The lumberjacks who worked all day in the north woods were careful to stay out of the forest at night because of the terrible beast called the Hodag. When one buddy stays out too long and meets the Hodag, everyone finds to their surprise that the Hodag is not so awful after all.”

The Hodag by Gary Lumpp “A group of filmmakers venture into the wilderness in search of proof that a cryptid known as the Hodag exists, unaware of a private plane crash in the area – or the domestic terrorists who want the cargo that was on board.”