Clifford the Big Red Dog (by Norman Bridwell)

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.