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Growing up in Kokomo, Indiana, Norman Bridwell was always drawing. But not everyone believed his drawings or writing would someday delight millions of children (and parents and teachers) around the world.

He studied first at the John Herron Art Institute inIndianapolis and then moved to New York, where he took classes at another art school, Cooper Union, for two years. He thenwent to work as a commercial artist. It was in 1962 while he was working as a freelance filmstrip and slide illustrator anddrawing mostly cartoons that Bridwell decided to put together a portfolio of colorful drawings and make the rounds ofchildren's book publishers.

Bridwell sums up Clifford's characteristics matter-of-factly: "He's red and he's warm. Clifford does what you'd like to do butcan't. Because Clifford is so big and also because he's a dog, he's able to do the most unbelievable and imaginative things." But not too unbelievable or imaginative. You won't see Clifford traveling in outer space, for example. Bridwell is firm about hisdecision that Clifford won't do anything that a real dog wouldn't do.

Although Clifford books are based on rather ordinary events, such as camping, going to the seashore, or the circus, when the Big Red Dog comes on the scene, things start to happen! "Clifford always tries to do the right thing," Bridwell explains, "but he does make mistakes." Bridwell gets the ideas for Clifford's behavior from other dogs - dogs in movies, dogs in stories, and, of course, dogs he's watched over the years, including his own. After Bridwell decides what will happen in the story, he sketches it out. Next, he writes the text - first just letting the story flow and later revising it. From start to finish, the process usually takes about three months. Check out Clifford's web site to learn more about the big red dog.

Despite his (and Clifford's) success, Bridwell drew some sketches and put together the text for what would become one of his mostpopular books, The Witch Next Door, about a kindly witch and her friendship with her two young neighbors.

There are over 44 million copies of Norman Bridwell's books in print and many of his stories are translated into other languages.

"I'm Emily Elizabeth, and I have a dog. My dog is a big red dog." This is how it all began-in 1963, Norman Bridwell published his very first Clifford book, and kids have loved Clifford ever since. He's an adorable dog whose well-meaning bumblings have great kid-appeal. Clifford is Emily Elizabeth's, and everyone's, favorite big red dog!

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