Rhinelander: The Heart of Wisconsin’s Northwoods
In my last post I touched on my bucolic upbringing just outside Rhinelander. Now, let’s dive into the heart of Rhinelander itself, where the rural roads and small-town roots of my childhood...
AVAILABLE LOCALLY NEAR YOU!
SHOP LOCAL
RHINELANDER, WIS
Imaginuity • Mel's Trading Post • The Hodag Store • Tilly's
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MINOCQUA, WIS
Imaginuity • The Shade Tree Bookstore
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EAGLE RIVER, WIS
Grandma's Toy Box • Northwoods Children's Museum
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MADISON, WIS
Wisconsin Historical Society
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DULUTH, MN
Minnesconsin
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Also available as a Kindle book and an audio iBook!
HAPPY THE HODAG IS A MONSTER OF THE HODAG VARIETY.
WHAT IS A HODAG?
Hodags are seldom seen, as introduced in Tales From The Trees.
Hodags are picky eaters, as explored in A Monster Misunderstanding.
Hodags are optimistic and awesome, as explained in HODAG.
Hodags are mysterious, as discovered season by season in HODAG, Color The Seasons.
Goodnight Happy
$ 7.99
- Description
NEW! Join Happy the Hodag and Buddy the Bulldog on their soothing stroll through the night sights and sounds of the Northwoods A wonderful way to wind down and get ready for bed.
6" x 6" Board Book
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Also available as an audio iBook and a non audio Kindle book!
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SOOTHING BEDTIME STORY: Soothing and lyrical text is perfect for bedtime read-alouds, engaging little readers with beautiful illustrations and a poetic rhyming narrative before lulling them to sleep with a soft chorus of Northwoods sounds.
ENGAGING READ-ALONG: The story brings readers along on a cyclical, rhythmic walk featuring forest sounds to engage and calm children.
GREAT GIFTING: This sweet, beautifully illustrated bedtime book makes a meaningful gift and is an anytime celebration of the wonders of the woods.
LIGHTLY EDUCATIONAL: Scenes of nocturnal and diurnal animals lightly introduce who gets up and who goes to bed when the sun goes down, helping little readers' understanding (and appreciation) of nature and the natural world.
BONDING & LEARNING: Interactive night animal sounds create opportunities for interacting with the book, promoting parent-child bonding and phonic letter recognition in simple sounds.
CUDDLY CREATURES: Jill Kuczmarski's forest animals along with Happy and Buddy are irresistible.
Perfect for:
• Fans of Happy the Hodag, the Northwoods, and the hodag legend
• Parents seeking calming and soothing bed time books
• Teachers, librarians, and storytime readers
• Gift givers seeking a unique monster picture book
• Fans of nature, camping, hiking, and outdoor exploration
• Teachers, grandparents, and caregivers looking for a compelling read-aloud
First Print Edition Published March 2024 (print),
First eBooks Editions Published March 2024 (iBook & Kindle)
NEW! A Short Story For The Traditional Hodag
Goodnight Hodag
The traditional monster known as a hodag is very different than Happy. "Goodnight Hodag" invites you into the mysterious realm of a traditional Hodag’s den, where the gnarly, growly, owly hodag reigns supreme. This grunge-styled postcard is a mailable short story that bids goodnight to the hodag as it readies for a tranquil slumber. With its vivid image and playful rhyme, it captures the essence of this wild beast of the Northwoods.
Cozy up and send your goodnight wishes with this one-of-a-kind story postcard.
7" x 5" - Matte varnish front, uncoated and writable back
Description
Better together, the Happy and Buddy Plush set.
The Happy the Hodag premium plush toy stands 12" tall, is self-standing and features an embroidered face and soft fur.
The Buddy the Bulldog premium plush toy is 6" tall and 8" long. Buddy has a fully embroidered face, soft fur and is self-standing.
Includes FREE Shipping
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A NOTE FROM AUTHOR AND ILLUSTRATOR JILL L. KUCZMARSKI
ABOUT US
Hi, I'm Jill, the creator of Happy the Hodag and Buddy the Bulldog! I'm also the author and illustrator of all of the Happy the Hodag books, and really, all things Happy. Why did I create Happy the Hodag and Buddy the Bulldog? Well, there are many different depictions of hodags in my hometown of Rhinelander, WI and when I was growing up all of these hodags were shown to be mean and scary. I decided to add a new kind of hodag to the landscape and in 2006 I created Happy the Hodag to have traditional hodag characteristics, but in a more accessible style for children. Happy was the first hodag character to be specifically created for children. These days there are a LOT more hodags in and around the Northwoods—both friendly and scary.
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Happy the Hodag, and most times Buddy the Bulldog, star in my children's books Tales From The Trees (2006), A Monster Misunderstanding (2007), and HODAG, A Happy the Hodag Book (2016), along with nine NEW friendly hodags. HODAG, Color The Seasons (2019), was my fourth Happy the Hodag book and featured eleven NEW Hodag depictions, with Happy on the back cover. It’s the exploration of what hodags are up to season by season in a keepsake coloring storybook.
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Suffice it to say I've created my fair share of friendly hodags over the years, but there will always be the one and only Happy :)
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Both my husband and I were raised in Rhinelander, WI and are graduates of Rhinelander Highschool which makes us official human hodags (the mythical creature known as Hodag is our town and school mascot.) We turned our daughter, Juniper, into a hodag a few years ago when we returned to our hometown to live full-time once more. We enjoy exploring the near, traveling the far, and hanging out with family and friends in the Mysterious Northwoods.