Clifford the Big Red Dog
Clifford the Big Red Dog is an eponymously titled American children's book series about a big red dog named Clifford. It was first published in 1963 and was written by Norman Bridwell. The series helped establish Scholastic Books as a premier publishing company.[citation needed]
Clifford was the runt of a litter of puppies and was chosen by a city child named Emily Elizabeth as her birthday present. No one expected him to grow, but Emily's love for her tiny red puppy changed him dramatically. Before long, he was over 25 feet (7.6 m) tall, forcing the Howard family to leave the city and move to the open spaces of Birdwell Island.
The characters
- Clifford: a male red dog whose appearance, disposition, and behavior are based on a giant "all-around" dog.[1] Friendly, outgoing and helpful. He sometimes gets into trouble because of his size or is tempted into trouble by his friends and those he meets. His size, like giants in medieval legends, is inconsistent—he is often shown as being about 15' tall from paws to head, but can appear far larger: in one episode he removes the top of the lighthouse and swims out with it to guide the ferry through the fog to the dock. The character's name is based on the imaginary friend of creator Norman Bridwell's wife.[2] His owner is Emily Elizabeth, to whom he is devoted. He has a mother, two brothers, and two sisters. His character was created when an editor at Harper & Row advised him to write a story to go along with one of his pictures. She picked out his sketch of a baby girl and a horse-sized bloodhound and casually said, "There might be a story in this," Bridwell remembers. [1]
- Emily Elizabeth: Clifford's owner. A friendly, curious, and helpful eight year-old girl. She is frequently portrayed riding on his back. The best skater on the island, and also very good at soccer. She was named for creator Norman Bridwell's daughter and based on the imaginary adventures of Bridwell's wife.[2]
- Cleo: A purple poodle who hates having her hair washed or bows being put in it. She is both sneaky and has a sharp tongue. She knows how to get others to do what she wants and is famous for playing tricks and getting her friends, Clifford and T-Bone, in trouble, though she always feels bad about it. Whenever one of them questions the quality of a plan, she is famous for saying, "Have I ever steered you wrong?". When they try to respond, she will say, "Don't answer that." She is a bit bossy and likes to lure her friends into temptations.
- T-Bone: Sheriff Lewis's dog. He is a yellow bulldog with orange spots. He is a little slow and silly, and has a crush on a sometimes appearing dog named Mimi, a Yorkie. He loves to eat and is always the most taken in by Cleo.
- Jetta: A human girl with black hair and always wearing a green sweater with its arms tied around her neck and blue jeans. She is usually arrogant, but can be sweet. She has a dog named Mac and insults Clifford a lot.
- Mac (or sometimes Blue): A blue great Dane, belonging to Jetta. He is also arrogant and sly, like Cleo, but he is nicer to Clifford than his owner. He has won many awards in shows, especially "Best Smile"
- Mimi: A brown Yorkie who wears a pink bow on her head. She sometimes visits the island and has a crush on T-Bone.
- KC: A three legged dog. His owner, Bruno, sometimes goes to the island to paint. In one episode he becomes Bruno's mother's heeler dog and says he will stay there forever.
List of Books
- Clifford and the Big Parade (1998)
- Clifford and the Big Storm (1995)
- Clifford and the Grouchy Neighbors (1985)
- Clifford and the Halloween Parade (1999)
- Clifford at the Circus (1985)
- Clifford Barks! (2000)
- Clifford Counts 1 2 3 (1998)
- Clifford Counts Bubbles (1992)
- Clifford Follows His Nose (1992)
- Clifford Gets a Job (1965)
- Clifford Goes to Dog School (2002)
- Clifford Goes to Hollywood (1980). Reissued in 2010 under the title: Clifford is a Star
- Clifford Goes to Washington (2005)
- Clifford Grows Up (1999)
- Clifford I Love You (Pop-Up) (1994)
- Clifford Keeps Cool (1998)
- Clifford Makes a Friend (1998)
- Clifford Makes the Team (2011)
- Clifford Takes a Trip (1966)
- Clifford the Champion (2009)
- Clifford the Firehouse Dog (1994)
- Clifford to the Rescue (2000)
- Clifford Visits the Hospital (2000)
- Clifford, the Big Red Dog (1963)
- Clifford, the Small Red Puppy (1972)
- Clifford, We Love You (1991)
- Clifford: Where is the Big Red Doggie? (1998)
- Clifford's ABC (1983)
- Clifford's Animal Sounds (1991)
- Clifford's Bathtime (1991)
- Clifford's Bedtime (1991)
- Clifford's Best Friend: A Story about Emily Elizabeth (1998)
- Clifford's Big Book of Things to Know (1999)
- Clifford's Big Red Reader (2001)
- Clifford's Birthday Party (1988)
- Clifford's Busy Week (2002)
- Clifford's Hanukkah (1984)
- Clifford's Class Trip (2003)
- Clifford's Day with Dad (2003)
- Clifford's Family (1984)
- Clifford's First Autumn (1997)
- Clifford's First Christmas (1994)
- Clifford's First Easter (1995)
- Clifford's First Halloween (1995)
- Clifford's First School Day (1999)
- Clifford's First Sleepover (2004)
- Clifford's First Snow Day (1998)
- Clifford's First Valentine's Day (1997)
- Clifford's Furry Friends (2001)
- Clifford's Good Deeds (1985)
- Clifford's Halloween (1966)
- Clifford's Happy Days: A Pop-Up Book (1990)
- Clifford's Happy Easter (1994)
- Clifford's Happy Mother's Day (2001)
- Clifford's Kitten (1984)
- Clifford's Manners (1987)
- Clifford's Neighborhood: Lots to Learn All Around Town (2002)
- Clifford's Noisy Day (1992)
- Clifford's Opposites (2000)
- Clifford's Pals (1985). Reissued in 2010 under the title: Clifford's Best Pals
- Clifford's Peek-And-Seek Animal Riddles (1997)
- Clifford's Peekaboo (1991)
- Clifford's Puppy Days (1989)
- Clifford's Puppy Fun: A Lift-The-Flap Board Book With Stickers (2001)
- Clifford's Riddles (1974)
- Clifford's Schoolhouse (2000)
- Clifford's Sports Day (1996)
- Clifford's Spring Clean-Up (1997)
- Clifford's Thanksgiving Visit (1993)
- Clifford's Tricks (1969)
- Clifford's Valentines (2001)
- Clifford's Word Book (1990)
- Count on Clifford (1985)
- Oops, Clifford! (1998)
- Where is Clifford? (1989)
Adaptations
In 1988, Nelvana, Wang Film Productions, and Family Home Entertainment released "Clifford's Fun With...", a videotape series with the theme song by Phillip Namanworth and Benjamin Goldstein. Brent Titcomb voiced Clifford, but sounded almost similar to Disney's Goofy. Lorimar Productions released the video "Clifford's Sing Along Adventure" around that same time. Warner Home Video rereleased it in the mid-1990s.
Film
In May 2012, it was reported that Illumination Entertainment, the company behind Despicable Me and Dr. Seuss' The Lorax, will make a live-action/animated feature film based on the book. Matt Lopez had been hired to write the script, while Chris Meledandri and Deborah Forte will produce the film.[3]
Television
Scholastic Studios produced a television adaptation shown on PBS Kids, which aired from 2000 to 2003.
Video Games
Original Series
- Clifford's Reading
- Clifford's Thinking Games
Modern Series
- Clifford's Learning Activities
- Clifford's Music
- Clifford's Phonics
- Clifford's Big Puzzle Game (A Wendy's Kids' Meal DVD game, available for a limited time only)
See also
- Younger versions of cartoon characters
- Clifford's Puppy Days
- Clifford's Really Big Movie
- Clifford the Big Red Dog (TV series)
References
^ Media and Culture, 5th ed., Richard Campbell, Christopher R. Martin and Bettina Fabos.
- ^ a b barnesandnoble.com
- ^ a b Clifford the Big Red Dog - Don Markstein's Toonopedia
- ^ Kit, Borys (May 8, 2012). "Illumination and Universal Adapting 'Clifford the Big Red Dog' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 9, 2012.