Clifford's Kitten

Clifford the Big Red Dog

by Norman Bridwell

Pangs of jealousy prompt Clifford, the big red dog, to compete for Emily Elizabeth's attention when she takes in a stray kitten.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals, Fiction, Cats, Dogs, Fantasy

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

Norman 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.

Reviews

[Jasmine from How Useful It Is · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book for my now 16 months old daughter :-)

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Read this book for my 13 months old. Emily Elizabeth found a lost kitten. She took care of it until the owner showed up. Clifford was jealous the cat has more attention than him.

[Erth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pangs of jealousy prompt Clifford, the big red dog, to compete for Emily Elizabeth's attention when she takes in a stray kitten

[Sydney Conrad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute Clifford book. Deals with the jealous a pet might feel when another pet comes along.

[Brittany Long · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Clifford stories. I read them all the time to my daughter, who just so happens to have a Clifford plush toy that was given to her by her great-grandmother. I don't know if she like Clifford because he is a dog and she get to say "woof, woof" while we read or if it's because he is red (her favorite color). Either way I love reading these books with her.

[Lexi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chose this book because it deals with new friendships forming, and how you may become jealous but too look past the jealousy and see the real person.

[Rena Sherwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

By the 1980s, Clifford books appeared in a much wider color palette. Here, a stray green-eyed ginger tabby wanders into Clifford's yard. Emily Elizabeth's parents allow her to keep the kitten until the owner can be found. Emily Elizabeth lets you know right away that she doesn't get to keep the kitten.

Bidwell certainly knew cats. The kitten is finicky about food. He never says thanks. The kitten is completely unperterbed by all of the Clifford caused chaos about him, except when a big, mean dog came after the kitten. When Clifford was done with the dog, and the dog was hightailing off into the horizon, Emily Elizabeth calmly observes, "The big dog decided to go back to his house to play."

Bidwell could be quite droll, knowing kids were smart enough not to have every damn thing explained to them.

There was an interesting visual not mentioned in the text. There were construction workers in the street -- with a woman construction worker. Was this just 1980s optimism or do female construction workers (NOT sign holders) actually exist? I'm 55, lived in two countries, vacationed to two others, and have never seen one.

Except for this book.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I vaguely recall Clifford the Big Red being a part of my early childhood reading. But the series was in its infancy then with only seven or eight books in what would eventually become a 91-book series. Clifford, like his stature, remains a big deal with youngsters and is quickly recognizable by many. My library ran a “guess this snippet of a children’s book cover” contest and I was ecstatic to recognize eight of the nine they had on the sheet. The one I missed? Clifford! I did recognize the zoom-in on Emily leaning against a very, very small sliver of red. Well, I “punished myself” by deciding I needed to read a Clifford book immediately. Clifford’s Kitten was the only one on the shelf so it was the winner.

This volume was published when I was into my teens; so, it was not one I had read before. A quick read and I was reminded why Clifford is so beloved: he’s bumbling and clumsy while being so completely loveable. Being owned by cats myself, I was thrilled with his antics with the found kitten—and thankful of Clifford’s size when the kitten runs out in front of a car.

May this big, red, furry hound forever remain a childhood favorite.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another book that has found a home on my classroom bookshelf, and that I shared with my students. Clifford is a classic beloved character and his signature good nature and love for Emily Elizabeth are apparent in this book. The illustrations are colorful, and really enhance the story. Many of them are very funny, as Clifford is trying to do what the cat is doing, and is too big. The plot of the story about how Emily Elizabeth finds a cat and Clifford is a little jealous is fun and engaging. I highly recommend this one for classroom bookshelves and read alouds, beginning readers, parents and children to read together, and for anyone who loves Clifford.

[Irish Blue Eyes · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book centers around Clifford and a lost kitten. The kitten wandered off, chasing butterflies and honing its claws. I find this story amusing. My favorite moment occurs when Clifford leaps into a dirt truck to hitch a ride. I enjoy Clifford books due to their humor and the valuable lessons they impart. This book leaves me pondering why Emily Elizabeth chose not to place Clifford in the doll carriage, yet she did put the kitten inside. Feelings of jealousy drive Clifford, the large red dog, to vie for Emily Elizabeth's affection when she adopts a stray. If you appreciate tales featuring Clifford, this book is a must-read.

[Alissa Weiss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grade Level: Pre-K-1st
Genre: Animal Fantasy
Clifford's kitten is a story that will delight beginning readers. Some of the mishaps, Clifford causes in the book will make children laugh. Clifford's Kitten would also be a wonderful book to read to students after recess. The book could be used to teach students to think about their reactions before reacting to a situation. For example, Clifford kept causing trouble because he was jealous of the kitten. A teacher could use the book's plot to explain a better ways for Clifford to cope with his jealously of the kitten.

[Paige Hickey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: Contemporary Realistic
Grade Level: PreK - 3rd
I highly recommend this book and all of the Clifford series books! I forgot how cute and enjoyable they were to read! The author does a great job incorporating life lessons into the stories and incorporating real world activities. The illustrations are also very detailed which help tell the story.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute little book about how Emily found a kitten and her mom let her keep it until they found the owners. Well Clifford was a little jelouse everything the kitten did he wanted to do too. But in the end the owner came for the kitten and they were happy just the two of them

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

Emily Elizabeth and Clifford take in a stray cat while they look for its owner. Clifford is jealous of the kitten and tries to imitate it, resulting in thousands and thousands of dollars of property damage. Is Clifford the regular source of declarations of disaster emergencies in his area? Bad dog.

[Lee Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

CAT!!! :D 3/5 stars.

[Danielle Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

So sweet

[Baby Goode · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Clifford books but this one wasn’t my favorite. Some of the jokes are a little too subtle to understand. Clifford is cute, though.

[Lynne Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

As my granddaughter says who doesn't love Clifford

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grandchildren loved it. Can't get enough of Clifford books.

[Maki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story about caring for a lost kitten.

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. Maybe if you are already a big Clifford fan, but otherwise, I think story is a bit flat.

[KaitandMaddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good Clifford story.

[Miriya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for AP comp. It was really exciting, but the ending was lackluster.

[Gaby M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alternative title: Clifford Causes Rampant Property Damage

This was pretty nostalgic, but I don't know why my sister threw this at me to read. Thanks, I guess?

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

“It was 👍🏻 oops but it was so 👍🏻🫶🏻😃🥳”


(read aloud at 4yo, no words missed)

[Addie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute and nostalgic. 3 year old liked it too

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poor Clifford grows jealous when Emily Elisabeth takes in a stray kitten. The kitten is small and can do so much but Clifford is big and everything is too hard for him. At the end, though, the kitten can find his home again and Clifford is okay again.

[Joshua Ezell · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is a new kitten in town! Whatever the kitten does, Clifford wants to do. The kitten's butterfly chasing leads Clifford to swallow a kite which he has mistaken for a giant butterfly. Dad pays the boy so he can get a new one. The kitten scratches his claws on a tree, and Clifford sharpens his nails on a light pole which is uprooted in the process. The kitten rides in a doll's carriage, and Clifford hops on a real dump truck. The kitten plays with a spool of thread and Clifford knocks a huge spool of fiber optic cable through two walls of a neighbor's garage. Eventually, a boy claims the kitten and rides off with him.


Bridwell has a simplistic writing style that incorporates fact, fiction, and humor into books while. In this book you get to see a type of tension. Clifford's main tension is with the kitten and nothing feeling as wanted. Whatever the kitten does, Clifford tries to do usually with a pretty bad outcome. I would use this to introduce the strategy tension and what ways it is portrayed in the story.

[Little Miss and the Legomeister · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why is it that kids love Clifford so very much? Legomeister loved him when he was four and five. And now Little Miss. She doesn't watch the show, but she checks out the books from our library.

They're simple; easy for a preschooler to understand. But, monotonous for the adult reader.

This one is about average. Not derived from the TV show, which is good. But really a typical Clifford book.

[Caroline Barnett]

Clifford's Kitten would be a great read aloud book. Most students can relate to cats and dogs. You could work of prediction with this book, once students see what the cat is doing they can predict what Clifford will do because he tries to do everything the cat does but he is so big what he does is a little different from the cat.

[Kelly Thevenot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cliffords Kitten is a wonderful book for young readers, as is all of the Clifford books. They are easy to read and young children love them. Cliffords Kitten is about friendship between a big red dog and a playful little Kitten. I could use this to teach a lesson about how you can have friends even if you are totally different.