Clifford the Big Red Dog found his forever home at Scholastic in 1963, after being rejected by every traditional children’s publisher. However, when Beatrice de Regniers, editor of Scholastic’s Lucky Book Club for younger readers, read Norman Bridwell’s cartoon-like picture book, she knew immediately that this red dog was something special.
Fifty-eight years later, with more than 134 million books in print in 20 languages, our iconic pup is still charming readers of all ages. On November 10th, he will appear in a live-action movie in theaters and on Paramount+ about his adventures in New York City. In this most recent adventure, he will take New York (and our hearts) by the leash. Directed by Walt Becker and Produced by Jordan Kerner and Iole Lucchese, Chief Strategy Officer, Scholastic and President, Scholastic Entertainment, the new film stars Darby Camp as Emily Elizabeth, Comedian and Actor Jack Whitehall as Uncle Casey, and John Cleese as Mr. Bridwell. Caitlin Friedman, SVP & General Manager, Scholastic, serves as Executive Producer.
Thanks to the work of art director Mary Jane Dunton, who partnered with Beatrice and Norman, Clifford’s story quickly became a best-selling children’s classic, as well as a fan-favorite with Scholastic’s Lucky Book Club.
When Clifford was first published, his stories were only in black and white — hard to believe for a dog best known for his size and bright red fur! Soon after, Clifford was published in black, white, and red, and more and more Clifford stories appeared, totaling more than 160 titles over the years. Clifford was published in black, white, and red, and more and more Clifford stories appeared, totaling more than 160 titles over the years.
Later, Clifford became a television star with his own show on PBS Kids currently airing Monday through Friday at 12:30 p.m., and on Prime Video anytime! He even landed a coveted spot as a big, red, dog-shaped balloon at the Macy’s Day Thanksgiving Parade in 1990! It wasn’t long before he started to appear on lunch boxes and in plush form for children to take home and love.
As Clifford grew to become one of the best known characters in children’s books and media, he also became the face of Scholastic. His image can be seen on every floor of our NYC headquarters, in the form of artwork, plushes, posters, and more.
From Norman’s original creation, Clifford grew (pun intended) to share his stories and his ageless friendship with Emily Elizabeth in books, television shows, and movies. Scholastic has published up to 500 versions of Clifford books, with Norman’s original vision behind 60 titles.
Check out the latest trailer from the Clifford the Big Red Dog movie below, and be sure to check out the movie in theaters and on Paramount+:
