Norman Birdwell, Creator of "Clifford The Big Red Dog," Dead at 86

(Photo from Clifford's Facebook Page)

Norman Birdwell, who created all of those wonderful children's books  about "Clifford The Big Red Dog," died last Friday (December 12, 2014) at the age of 86.  Although an official cause of death has not yet been released, the Associated Press reports that Birdwell had been hospitalized for the past several weeks following a bad fall he suffered at his home on Martha's Vineyard.  He is also known to have been fighting prostate cancer.

The more than forty Big Red Dog books have been translated into thirteen languages, and it is estimated that there are over 126 million copies of them in print.  Clifford, along with his best friend Emily, also starred in two animated television series that remain popular today.  

Too, I still remember the Big Red Dog software program I used in helping to teach my now-15-year-old granddaughter how to read.  And I can only guess at how many hours I spent reading Clifford books to her, her brother, and cousin as they all progressed through their pre-reading years.  

 

Norman Birdwell

Norman Birdwell's stories are wonderful, and they always have a good lesson to teach without being too obvious about it all.  Maybe that's why kids love the books so much - and why they don't bore the parents and grandparents who are reading them aloud over and over again.

Clifford and Emily always made me smile, and I sincerely thank Mr. Birdwell for his contribution to children's literature.