Clifford, the Big Red Dog (Clifford the Big Red Dog)

Rating:
Summary: The Big Red Favorite of My Kids
Review: Clifford is one of those literary creatures who adults find hard to quite "get." I am among those adults, but I have to admit, my children love all things Clifford and when his show is playing on the local PBS channel, its "must-see-TV" time for thekids.

This is the book that launched Clifford's career. Originally released in the late eighties, Clifford has grown into a children's icon. Norman Bridwell apparently hit upon a idea that resonates with children. Of course, most kids love dogs, red is a color that stand out, and I guess combine the two in a giant dog and you've got instant appeal to the toddler set.

I don't mean for that to sound cynical. Clifford's stories frequently contain good moral lessons for the children and most often revolve around the concept of "love" for one's pet and vice versa.

Oddly, in this, the first book in the series, there is no explanation for why Clifford is a giant dog (I've never sorted out how tall he actually is; sometimes he appears to be 10-12 feet tall and sometimes twice that height). Of course, my four-year-old could care less about explanations, she just loves him.

Rating:
Summary: He's big! He's red! He's a dog!
Review: He's big. He's red. He's a dog. What more can you say? Clifford is so popular that's there's a Clifford book for every season and nearly every holiday. As if that weren't enough, there's also a whole line of Clifford's puppy day stories, which also cover every season and most major holidays. This dog is huge -- in more ways than one!

The first book is very simple and very sweet, and it goes a long way toward explaining the popularity of the series. Instead of being a story about a big, red dog, it's a story about the special friendship between a girl and her dog. Emily Elizabeth loves her dog, despite what others may see as his shortcomings. yes, even Emily Elizabeth will admit that he has a few. For instance, when Clifford chases cars, he actually catches them and brings them home.

When Clifford doesn't win first prize at the dog show, Emily Elizabeth doesn't mind. She'll take Clifford over any of those other dogs any day. Reminds me of my daughter's fierce loyalty to Blackie, our stray mutt with chronic mange. Even when Blackie is going through one of her Mexican Hairless impersonations, my daughter still thinks Blackie is the best dog in the world.

Rating:
Summary: Introducing Clifford.
Review: This first Clifford the Big Red Dog book is in board book format so that younger children can flip through the pages and enjoy Clifford without accidently destroying the book. This book introduces Emily Elizabeth and her pet dog, Clifford. However, Clifford isn't an ordinary dog. He's big. He's red and he has some peculiar habits. Children of a variety of ages love Clifford and this book is a great way to introduce young children to Emily and Clifford. It's fairly short, entertaining, and contains a subtle message on acceptance as well.

Rating:
Summary: Good old Clifford
Review: This is a short and sweet introduction Emily Elizabeth gives us to her oversized pal Clifford. She explains why she wouldn't trade him for any other and some of the aspects that make having him as a pet not so practical. Who can help but love this giant creature? I find the whole series amusing to young and old alike.