Clifford the Big Red Dog

 Review

Common Sense Media says

After 35 years, Clifford hasn't lost his appeal.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

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Kids say

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that there is nothing objectionable in this classic. Parents may enjoy the dry humor and simple story. Children giggle over the childlike drawings of a huge dog and his escapades.

What's the story?

Emily Elizabeth has the biggest, reddest dog in the neighborhood. She has extra fun with such a big dog, but extra problems too. Silly solutions shown in the cartoonlike illustrations delight young children. The good-natured Clifford has not lost his appeal since he first appeared more than thirty-five years ago.

 


Is it any good?

 

Dry wit for children is unusual in these days of over-the-top silliness and bathroom humor. But Norman Bridwell knows how to tickle a child's funny bone without pandering. He accomplishes this by juxtaposing blandly flat textual setups with expressive drawings that act as a punch line.

As one might expect in a book where the pictures make the story, Bridwell's are charming. Simple lines and colors are combined with clever cropping and a delightful range of expressions for the goofy Clifford. His sneaky tiptoeing when playing hide-and-seek, his look of surprise to find his ears propped up with sticks to make a tent, and his one-eyed glare at a burglar who's after Emily Elizabeth's piggybank all keep kids chortling -- and reading.


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What families can talk about

Families can talk about what it would be like to have such a huge pet as part of your family. How would you take care of such a big dog?


This review was written by Jennifer Gennari
Adult
April 9, 2008
 
Good books for young children
My toddlers love to see what Clifford is up to next. The big red dog really draws their attention and gets them talking. These are books I read with my toddlers as there are lots to learn and explain to 1.5 / 3 year olds. Everyday situations and interesting subjects (such as the visit to the fire station or the day the dogs went to the building site) provides lots of situations for toddlers / and young children to identify with.

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Adult
September 17, 2011
 
*$#%@
bleh

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Kid, 10 years old
April 13, 2012
 
Great book for the saga of Clifford the big red dog
I never read the book, but I saw the show and the movie. A nice family book to complete the saga for the whole idea of Clifford in the first week.

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This review was written by Jennifer Gennari
Author:Norman Bridwell
Illustrator:Norman Bridwell
Book type:Fiction
Genre:Family Life
Publisher:Scholastic Inc.
Publication date:December 31, 1969
Number of pages:32
Paperback price:$3.50
Publisher's recommended age(s):4 - 7

This review was written by Jennifer Gennari
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

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