About The Author

Bridwell was born on February 15, 1928 in Kokomo, Indiana, to Leona and Vern Bridwell. He graduated from Kokomo High School in 1945, and went on to attend John Herron School of Art in Indianapolis, and Cooper Union, in New York City. By 1962, Bridwell was married to his wife Norma Howard, and they had a daughter Emily Elizabeth, as well as a son named Timothy. At the time of his death, they had three grandchildren. The Bridwells resided in Edgartown on Martha's Vineyard, from 1969 until his death. There's no denying that kids love Clifford®. The Big Red Dog® has been a favorite since NORMAN BRIDWELLcreated him over 40 years ago. “I was working as a commercial artist in New York City. There wasn't much work, so I made some sample pictures and took them to several publishers. They all rejected my work. But one editor suggested that I try writing a book of my own to illustrate. I had done a painting of a little girl with a big red dog. That seemed like a funny idea, so I made up a story about them. I increased the dog's size from as big as a horse to as big as a house. My wife named the dog Clifford, and we named the little girl Emily Elizabeth after our daughter. In three days I had written the story and drawn the pictures for Clifford The Big Red Dog. When Scholastic called and said they wanted the book, I was stunned.” Bridwell, who grew up in Kokomo, Indiana, lives now on Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, with his wife, Norma. For more information about Norman Bridwell, visit: scholastic.com/tradebooks