Dena Neusner

A preachy little board book adapted from a short moral segment from the 2000-2003 Clifford animated series that was originally written by Sindy McKay teaches a simplistic lesson about sportsmanship and fair play. Clifford and his friends are playing Red Light-Green Light when one of the friends tries to not play fair just long enough to learn his lesson about following rules.

Frankly, it's hard to think about Red Light-Green Light without flashing to the Squid Games and then imagining some of show more Clifford's friends getting mowed down by rifle fire. What a disturbing new association. show less

Worried that he's eating Emily Elizabeth's family out of house and home, Clifford runs off with some carnies with a plan to win a lifetime supply of dog food.

This reader adaptation of the spin-off movie from the PBS animated series is even choppier and more abrupt than the one I read yesterday. And the coloring choice is odd, with Clifford being outlined and highlighted in a purple tinge instead of black inks.

FOR REFERENCE:

Adapted by Dena Neusner with illustrator Barry Goldberg from the show more animated motion picture Clifford's Really Big Movie (2004), directed by Robert Ramirez, screenplay by Rhett Reese and Robert Ramirez, and starring John Ritter. show less

The kids of Birdwell Island are off on a school field trip, and Clifford is chasing along behind, taking the time to stop at a park and the beach along the way. To somewhat spice up the absolute dullness of the story, the reader gets to push a little school bus along a track at the top of the book as the pages are turned.

So-so rhymes with run-of-the-mill touch-and-feel sections. For the youngest readers only.