What do you think?
Rate this book
Clifford's Puppy Days
Halloween Howl
Before Clifford was a Big Red dog, he was a very small puppy.
The beginning of the new school year brings a new neighbor to the apartment building where Emily Elizabeth lives. Clifford and his friends are scared by a strange wailing noise coming from the new neighbor's apartment. And they begin to wonder if a monster isn't living there--especially when they find a huge tooth. Clifford finally meets the new family, and realizes that all his fears are unfounded. In the end, Clifford and the gang realize that you should get to know people before you decide what they're like.
Based on the TV episode "The Monster in 3-B" written by Suzanne Collins, author of The Hunger Games.
The beginning of the new school year brings a new neighbor to the apartment building where Emily Elizabeth lives. Clifford and his friends are scared by a strange wailing noise coming from the new neighbor's apartment. And they begin to wonder if a monster isn't living there--especially when they find a huge tooth. Clifford finally meets the new family, and realizes that all his fears are unfounded. In the end, Clifford and the gang realize that you should get to know people before you decide what they're like.
Based on the TV episode "The Monster in 3-B" written by Suzanne Collins, author of The Hunger Games.
24 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
79 people want to read
About the author
Norman Bridwell
423 books233 followersNorman Bridwell was an American author and cartoonist, best-known for the Clifford the Big Red Dog series of children's books. Bridwell attended John Herron School of Art in Indianapolis, Indiana. He lived on Martha's Vineyard, MA, where he wrote an average of two books a year.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
October 31, 2025
This wasn't written by Norman Bridwell, but by Gail Herman. It's an adaptation of the episode "The Monster in 3-8" from the 2003 PBS animated series, Clifford's Puppy Days. The script was written by ... someone who would later go on to pen The Hunger Games series.
The illustrations were apparently stills from the series, done by Barry Goldberg. There is a slight visual difference from Bridwell's original Clifford books, done to make it easier on the animators. There is also a brighter color palette, with an unhealthy emphasis on pastels.
I had three Clifford books when I was a small kid in the 1970s. My absolute favorite was Clifford the Small Red Puppy, so here we are. Happy Halloween 2025, everyone, when I am nearly 56 years old ... emphasis on old, unfortunately. It was funny to see a lop-eared rabbit dwarfing Clifford ... although the French Lop rabbit breed can hit 20 pounds. Better watch out, Clifford.
This book about Clifford's first Halloween did have a couple of genuinely funny moments, but the overall premise was predictable.
You can currently find most of the Clifford books at the Internet Archive.
The illustrations were apparently stills from the series, done by Barry Goldberg. There is a slight visual difference from Bridwell's original Clifford books, done to make it easier on the animators. There is also a brighter color palette, with an unhealthy emphasis on pastels.
I had three Clifford books when I was a small kid in the 1970s. My absolute favorite was Clifford the Small Red Puppy, so here we are. Happy Halloween 2025, everyone, when I am nearly 56 years old ... emphasis on old, unfortunately. It was funny to see a lop-eared rabbit dwarfing Clifford ... although the French Lop rabbit breed can hit 20 pounds. Better watch out, Clifford.
This book about Clifford's first Halloween did have a couple of genuinely funny moments, but the overall premise was predictable.
You can currently find most of the Clifford books at the Internet Archive.
September 2, 2022
Clifford and his neighborhood friends hear a howl coming from their apartment building and assume it must be a neighbor. They learn a pedestrian lesson about jumping to conclusions.
For me, the most interesting thing about this book is learning that it is adapted from an episode written by Suzanne Collins. Yes, Suzanne Collins of The Hunger Games! Before launching a cultural phenomenon, she was the head writer of the Clifford's Puppy Days animated series on PBS, and this is one of only three episodes for which she received a full script credit.
FOR REFERENCE
Adapted by Gail Herman with illustrations by Barry Goldberg from the television script "The Monster in 3-B" by Suzanne Collins for the Clifford's Puppy Days PBS Kids animated series, Season 1, Episode 2, September 1, 2003.
For me, the most interesting thing about this book is learning that it is adapted from an episode written by Suzanne Collins. Yes, Suzanne Collins of The Hunger Games! Before launching a cultural phenomenon, she was the head writer of the Clifford's Puppy Days animated series on PBS, and this is one of only three episodes for which she received a full script credit.
FOR REFERENCE
Adapted by Gail Herman with illustrations by Barry Goldberg from the television script "The Monster in 3-B" by Suzanne Collins for the Clifford's Puppy Days PBS Kids animated series, Season 1, Episode 2, September 1, 2003.
October 8, 2015
I liked the story. After reading this book children will learn that is not ok to judge people from how they look like or from what people say about them. It is better to take time to get to know them and then we can make our own opinions about them. Children will also have fun looking at the nice pictures in the story.
September 28, 2017
A wonderful story about how things you fear may not be what you make them out to be.
Clifford realizes that him and his friends are afraid for no reason when they all jump to the conclusion that the sound is a monters.
Clifford realizes that him and his friends are afraid for no reason when they all jump to the conclusion that the sound is a monters.
December 3, 2018
12/2
Fiction
K-2nd
This book would be perfect to read to the class when it turns fall! the simple pictures and simple story are so great! I enjoyed this cute read so much, it might help that fall is my favorite season!
Fiction
K-2nd
This book would be perfect to read to the class when it turns fall! the simple pictures and simple story are so great! I enjoyed this cute read so much, it might help that fall is my favorite season!
September 26, 2019
I prefer the illustrations by Norman Bridwell to the ones here, and the story was a bit silly. I didn't think it was bad, and my daughter made me read it twice in a row, and then made my husband read it a third time, so she clearly enjoyed it.
November 3, 2019
A bit intense for young kids, but ends happily.
Read
June 23, 2020H 39.08
October 14, 2015
Young Clifford and his friends in the apartment complex talk about the strange sounds coming from the 'new' neighbors and it's Halloween! Could a ghost be their new neighbor? They soon find out Emily Elizabeth is going to visit with the 'ghost' so Clifford hides in her pack to 'save' her... and he soon learns that he and his friends shouldn't judge so quickly before they get the facts. Super cute story to help teach children to not let their imagination run off with them and possibly loose out on a 'new' friend.
October 10, 2012
I had never read a Clifford puppy book before so this was the first. It was cute but different from the one's where he's a big dog. This was a story about how Clifford and his friends got scared about the new neighbor that had moved into the apartment building. It was Halloween time so they were determined that it was a monster. I could use this around fall time to read to my class and also discuss how it's important not to judge people or things before you meet or learn about them!
October 10, 2012
I love Clifford and any story that includes him! This stories theme or main idea is about not judging a book by its cover. It's so cute how they based it on Halloween and how they heard scary music and thought it was a monster and saw a scary tooth and thought it was a monsters tooth. After Emily and Clifford went next door and discovered the truth that is was a nice boy, they discovered the moral and new right from wrong! Such a clever way of teaching this lesson!
November 8, 2012
This is a great book that teaches children to not judge people before they actually get to know them. In the end there was no monster and Clifford had just misunderstood the sounds from next door. The lesson from the book is "don't judge a book by its cover".
November 5, 2009
A cute and intriguing Halloween story Pre-K kids would love!
May 2, 2010
This is a great book to read in October for Halloween! The children will also love this book because it's a Clifford book!
October 20, 2011
Very cute story with animals with personalities.
October 31, 2011
Read to the second graders today. They enjoyed it. a touch of scary but a fun ending.
October 9, 2012
Cute, and I can't get over the fact that the episode it was based on was written by Suzanne Collins. The Suzanne Collins!!
October 10, 2012
Cute and Halloween-y!
December 5, 2012
I love Clifford books!!!! This one is about Cliffords halloween, it has great illustrations. Great for younger kids.
Read
November 19, 2013Clifford and his friends learn not to judge people before meeting them. The new neighbor was not a monster but instead a very nice boy.
October 4, 2012
Great book for halloween season :)
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews