clifford the big red dog by norman bridwell

Spinoffs include cartoons with John Ritter as the voice of Clifford and future Hunger Games novelist Suzanne Collins among the script writers. 'Norman personified the values that we as parents and educators hope to communicate to our children – kindness, compassion, helpfulness, gratitude.'Īs the AP notes, 'Clifford became standard nighttime reading for countless families and a money machine for publisher Scholastic Inc. 'Norman Bridwell's books about Clifford, childhood's most lovable dog, could only have been written by a gentle man with a great sense of humor,' Scholastic president and CEO Dick Robinson said. More than 129 million copies of his Clifford books have sold since then, and an animated series based on the books is aired in 65 countries.

The gigantic dog went on to anchor a series of books that has spread into TV and beyond.

When Norma Bridwell suggested he follow up by writing another story about Clifford and Emily Elizabeth - and maybe even two or three - the author answered, 'Oh, no. Finally, Scholastic accepted the manuscript that he'd written over a weekend.īridwell told Scott Simon that he 'was shocked when it was accepted for publication, because I'd never written anything before.' The name of Clifford's best friend, Emily Elizabeth, came from the couple's own daughter, whom they raised on Martha's Vineyard along with their son, Timothy.īefore the Clifford franchise could get started, Bridwell, who was trying to change careers after being an artist in New York City, endured the rejection of nine different publishers. Instead, they decided the dog should be named Clifford, after an imaginary friend Norma Bridwell had when she was little.

Charles Sykes/AP More than 50 years after he came up with a story about Clifford the Big Red Dog, artist. It was Norma Bridwell who told the budding children's book author that his idea to call a huge bloodhound 'Tiny' was 'stupid,' as he recalled when he and his wife spoke with NPR's Scott Simon. The creator of the Clifford the Big Red Dog stories died Friday at age 86.

Clifford the big red dog by norman bridwell