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Clifford the Big Red Dog
Clifford's Thanksgiving Visit
Cliffords Thanksgiving Visit by Norman Bridwell. Scholastic Books. Clifford and Emily Elizabeth have a Thanksgiving adventure.
30 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 1993
About the author
Norman Bridwell
432 books242 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
March 13, 2024
I think I loved these children books as much as my kids!!
December 1, 2021
I was going to give this 3 stars because I wasn't that thrilled about this one but seeing as other reviewers are criticizing this book because... Clifford is "too big"... good grief. He's CLIFFORD. I felt like I needed to give poor ol Clifford a boost here.
November 24, 2016
This is the second Clifford book I've read as an adult, and I am seriously wondering what drew me to this a kid. It's making me rethink my taste in the Christmas one I liked as a kid. This, the same as with the Halloween I read last month, has nothing to offer. It doesn't even capture Thanksgiving at all. In fact, it barely has anything to do with the holiday at all.
The first page started off with them dressed for Halloween-bad idea. That was just a weird way to start off a Thanksgiving book by saying they have a lot of fun on Halloween and soon as it's over they start looking forward to Thanksgiving. Definitely a bad setup for the story.
It was also weird and a bad idea to have her reflecting upon an old Thanksgiving, and when I got done reading I was like how did she know any of this happened? It didn't add up, because she was listing everything Clifford did while her and her family flew to visit her grandma. Unless that dog can talk, she wouldn't have known anything that he did, so that was a major plot hole.
Clifford apparently has a dad and sisters Bonnie and Claudia, and a brother Nero. Didn't know he knew his family, and those are odd names for dogs. I couldn't believe his mom was a tiny dog. It begs the question of how Clifford got to be the size of a giant if he came from a normal dog.
It didn't make any sense that Clifford was walking on the highway to get to his mom in the city, when there was wide open grass on either side of the road he could have taken, unless he thought he had to travel on the actual pavement in order to get there. He was cute though walking along with the cars under him. When the highway is packed and cars are running into him, Clifford looked cute with one bag leg lifted as he walked, looking backwards and ears flowing back while people beeped at him.
The cutest part of the story for me was when Clifford came to a bridge and wondered why all of the cars stopped. He heads across the bridge and all of a sudden the drawbridge opens up to let a ship pass, and Clifford is standing there all stretched out trying trying to hang on. Then he falls into the river. That was cute.
It made no sense that since Clifford didn't want to get back on the highway, he crawls inside a tunnel, when he could have just stayed on the ground and avoided both the highway and the tunnel. That's when the story just became outlandish and silly rather than believable. He did look cute as his snout was all scrunched up after the train ran into him. It was odd how the only person to notice they'd ran into something was the conductor. The two passengers shown were reading their papers as if nothing had happened. And so stupid how he pushed the train all of the way back to the station...and the station was literally situated right outside of the tunnel, which was a very weird place for a tunnel to be.
In the city he runs into the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, where he had to climb a bunch of buildings that got taller and taller just to see where his mom's house was at. There's a Clifford balloon going down the street, and I expected Clifford to be confused as to why he was seeing himself, or think it was a real dog, but nope. It was just for looks and wasn't a part of the story, which begged the question of how the city knew of him so well to make a float of him.
I didn't know what it meant that Clifford didn't mean to, but became a part of the football game in the park. Did he trip and fall? What happened to make him lie down on the ground like that, and why did all of the kids just start running all over him?
I couldn't believe his mom was so small she could jump out of the window onto his snout.
The cutest part of the story was when Emily was at her grandma's house having fun, but she kept thinking about Clifford, and wondered if he was thinking about her.
"He was. He loves his mom, but as soon as he could, he hurried home. So did I . . ."
Really sweet that they were both thinking of each other, and missed each other while they were apart.
". . . because I am thankful for Clifford and he is thankful for me."
Nice ending line about them being thankful for each other and having a nice relationship. Great bond between girl and dog.
The first page started off with them dressed for Halloween-bad idea. That was just a weird way to start off a Thanksgiving book by saying they have a lot of fun on Halloween and soon as it's over they start looking forward to Thanksgiving. Definitely a bad setup for the story.
It was also weird and a bad idea to have her reflecting upon an old Thanksgiving, and when I got done reading I was like how did she know any of this happened? It didn't add up, because she was listing everything Clifford did while her and her family flew to visit her grandma. Unless that dog can talk, she wouldn't have known anything that he did, so that was a major plot hole.
Clifford apparently has a dad and sisters Bonnie and Claudia, and a brother Nero. Didn't know he knew his family, and those are odd names for dogs. I couldn't believe his mom was a tiny dog. It begs the question of how Clifford got to be the size of a giant if he came from a normal dog.
It didn't make any sense that Clifford was walking on the highway to get to his mom in the city, when there was wide open grass on either side of the road he could have taken, unless he thought he had to travel on the actual pavement in order to get there. He was cute though walking along with the cars under him. When the highway is packed and cars are running into him, Clifford looked cute with one bag leg lifted as he walked, looking backwards and ears flowing back while people beeped at him.
The cutest part of the story for me was when Clifford came to a bridge and wondered why all of the cars stopped. He heads across the bridge and all of a sudden the drawbridge opens up to let a ship pass, and Clifford is standing there all stretched out trying trying to hang on. Then he falls into the river. That was cute.
It made no sense that since Clifford didn't want to get back on the highway, he crawls inside a tunnel, when he could have just stayed on the ground and avoided both the highway and the tunnel. That's when the story just became outlandish and silly rather than believable. He did look cute as his snout was all scrunched up after the train ran into him. It was odd how the only person to notice they'd ran into something was the conductor. The two passengers shown were reading their papers as if nothing had happened. And so stupid how he pushed the train all of the way back to the station...and the station was literally situated right outside of the tunnel, which was a very weird place for a tunnel to be.
In the city he runs into the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, where he had to climb a bunch of buildings that got taller and taller just to see where his mom's house was at. There's a Clifford balloon going down the street, and I expected Clifford to be confused as to why he was seeing himself, or think it was a real dog, but nope. It was just for looks and wasn't a part of the story, which begged the question of how the city knew of him so well to make a float of him.
I didn't know what it meant that Clifford didn't mean to, but became a part of the football game in the park. Did he trip and fall? What happened to make him lie down on the ground like that, and why did all of the kids just start running all over him?
I couldn't believe his mom was so small she could jump out of the window onto his snout.
The cutest part of the story was when Emily was at her grandma's house having fun, but she kept thinking about Clifford, and wondered if he was thinking about her.
"He was. He loves his mom, but as soon as he could, he hurried home. So did I . . ."
Really sweet that they were both thinking of each other, and missed each other while they were apart.
". . . because I am thankful for Clifford and he is thankful for me."
Nice ending line about them being thankful for each other and having a nice relationship. Great bond between girl and dog.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 23, 2016
Seeing the neighbor pouring Clifford five bags of dog food, I just realized feeding that dog would be so expensive!!
&his dog house is bigger than their house.
I didn’t realize exactly how big Clifford is, until you see him on the highway. He’s way too big! It’s also weird he’s traveling on the road.
It was cute how Clifford wondered why the cars had stopped before the bridge, and then the drawbridge opens, and Clifford is standing on each side. He looked so cute stretched out as far as he could go, and then when he falls in the water and it says ‘Poor Clifford.’
He has to crawl through the tunnel, because he doesn’t wanna go on the highway. But it seems like he could just climb the hill there, beside the highway. His face looks funny as he’s scrunched in the tunnel, and the light shines in his eyes, and then a train bumps into his nose.
He has to push the train back to the station, which seems like he’s pushing them all back to where they started.
It’s ridiculous that Clifford is walking up buildings like a person would climb stairs. This dog is too big!
I can’t believe the Clifford balloon wasn’t even addressed! He didn’t even notice there was a balloon that looked just like him!
It already said he took a shortcut through the park, so him saying ‘He passed some kids playing football in the park’ was redundant.
I wonder how he wound up the game, laying on his side, with kids trampling him!
In the beginning, I was wondering if his mom/family would be big like him. Then I noticed she was on the cover and was a small dog. I’d like to see his dad and siblings! How the heck do you end up with a huge red dog, from a normal dog like his mom? I know I’m looking way into this, and obviously it’s just made-up and supposed to be fantastical, but it’s hard not to.
I know it’s his mom and she loves him, but the heart up above her as she kisses him makes it look romantic.
It’s weird how her dog bowl said ‘Mom.’ Doesn’t she have a name?
The girl wondered if Clifford was thinking of her, then it says ‘He was. He loves his mom, but as soon as he could, he hurried home.’ How did she know this?
I read a Clifford Halloween book, and it wasn’t that good, so I’m glad I read this now, and didn’t save it for Thanksgiving Day. Actually, I wish I had read this much, much sooner, because this wasn’t good either. The writing is so simple, there’s hardly any words. And not much of a story.
This didn’t even feel like thanksgiving. It was more his journey to find his mom, then it showed them eating turkey. Then it flashed to Emily to show her eating, not even mentioning Thanksgiving or any traditions they have, or what they’ve been doing. Then bam, it ends with ‘because I am thankful for Clifford, and he is thankful for me.’ Yes, thanksgiving is about being thankful, but I wanna hear of thanksgiving traditions and to actually feel like I’m reading a thanksgiving book.
This was more one star. Some of the pictures were cute/funny, but as a story, it wasn’t that good.
&his dog house is bigger than their house.
I didn’t realize exactly how big Clifford is, until you see him on the highway. He’s way too big! It’s also weird he’s traveling on the road.
It was cute how Clifford wondered why the cars had stopped before the bridge, and then the drawbridge opens, and Clifford is standing on each side. He looked so cute stretched out as far as he could go, and then when he falls in the water and it says ‘Poor Clifford.’
He has to crawl through the tunnel, because he doesn’t wanna go on the highway. But it seems like he could just climb the hill there, beside the highway. His face looks funny as he’s scrunched in the tunnel, and the light shines in his eyes, and then a train bumps into his nose.
He has to push the train back to the station, which seems like he’s pushing them all back to where they started.
It’s ridiculous that Clifford is walking up buildings like a person would climb stairs. This dog is too big!
I can’t believe the Clifford balloon wasn’t even addressed! He didn’t even notice there was a balloon that looked just like him!
It already said he took a shortcut through the park, so him saying ‘He passed some kids playing football in the park’ was redundant.
I wonder how he wound up the game, laying on his side, with kids trampling him!
In the beginning, I was wondering if his mom/family would be big like him. Then I noticed she was on the cover and was a small dog. I’d like to see his dad and siblings! How the heck do you end up with a huge red dog, from a normal dog like his mom? I know I’m looking way into this, and obviously it’s just made-up and supposed to be fantastical, but it’s hard not to.
I know it’s his mom and she loves him, but the heart up above her as she kisses him makes it look romantic.
It’s weird how her dog bowl said ‘Mom.’ Doesn’t she have a name?
The girl wondered if Clifford was thinking of her, then it says ‘He was. He loves his mom, but as soon as he could, he hurried home.’ How did she know this?
I read a Clifford Halloween book, and it wasn’t that good, so I’m glad I read this now, and didn’t save it for Thanksgiving Day. Actually, I wish I had read this much, much sooner, because this wasn’t good either. The writing is so simple, there’s hardly any words. And not much of a story.
This didn’t even feel like thanksgiving. It was more his journey to find his mom, then it showed them eating turkey. Then it flashed to Emily to show her eating, not even mentioning Thanksgiving or any traditions they have, or what they’ve been doing. Then bam, it ends with ‘because I am thankful for Clifford, and he is thankful for me.’ Yes, thanksgiving is about being thankful, but I wanna hear of thanksgiving traditions and to actually feel like I’m reading a thanksgiving book.
This was more one star. Some of the pictures were cute/funny, but as a story, it wasn’t that good.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 16, 2016
Typical Clifford book. Could be used for storytime, not terribly long.
November 26, 2025
My son recognizes Clifford now so he grabs this one from his Thanksgiving collection often. I think it could've done a better job emphasizing the holiday. It struck me as weird he wouldn't be spending it with Emily Elizabeth. Sure, he's visiting family, but Emily Elizabeth is his day in & day out family. It's like his biological family was introduced just to give us that deep Clifford origin lore.
November 4, 2018
Copyright 1993, this is a Scholastic book. Preschool through elementary school age.
Clifford was always a family favorite! In this one, Emily Elizabeth goes to her grandma's house for Thanksgiving dinner. Clifford decides to go visit his mom who lives in New York City. He has some adventures along the way. Funny, but New Yorkers are unfazed by a really big red dog running around the city!
Clifford was always a family favorite! In this one, Emily Elizabeth goes to her grandma's house for Thanksgiving dinner. Clifford decides to go visit his mom who lives in New York City. He has some adventures along the way. Funny, but New Yorkers are unfazed by a really big red dog running around the city!
November 28, 2025
Jack borrowed this book from the Canal Winchester library. I picked it because I loved Clifford as a kid and Thanksgiving was coming up.
We read it on Thanksgiving day, and he liked watching Clifford walk along the highway and the train tracks. He thought it was sweet that Clifford went to visit his mom. I did too.
We read it on Thanksgiving day, and he liked watching Clifford walk along the highway and the train tracks. He thought it was sweet that Clifford went to visit his mom. I did too.
October 24, 2019
A cute story about Clifford going home to visit his mother, who apparently lives in DownTown Manhattan. He makes numerous mistakes like trying to cross an opening draw bridge, but he makes it in time for the holiday.
November 11, 2019
Clifford the Big Red travels to the city to spend Thanksgiving with his mother while Emily Elizabeth visits her grandparents for Thanksgiving.
In this picture book, Thanksgiving is represented as a celebration of family and food, making it completely inoffensive.
In this picture book, Thanksgiving is represented as a celebration of family and food, making it completely inoffensive.
November 24, 2023
A cute story about the adventure Clifford goes on in order to visit his mom for Thanksgiving. The Macy’s Day Parade balloon was a nice touch and the story itself was cute. A nice little story for the holiday.
November 15, 2017
Sweet as always!
December 11, 2017
cute Clifford book. He goes to see his mom for Thanksgiving. My daughter enjoyed listening to it
November 24, 2018
Very cute book about family and traveling for the holidays away from pets. Not the easiest of comprehension between words and pictures.
February 4, 2019
Enjoyable little story about how Clifford spends his Thanksgiving with his owner, Emily Elizabeth, and her family out of town visiting relatives of their own.
April 25, 2019
Thankful for what you have
November 11, 2019
This is one of the better Clifford books, with a really solid plot for a children's picture book. Clifford is a big hit with my baby boy and this festive one made him very happy.
December 2, 2019
The twins love Clifford books, and this was no exception. They were very excited over this book and discussed it before bedtime.
August 12, 2020
Grandchildren loved it. Can't get enough of Clifford books.
November 14, 2020
While Clifford's human family goes off to visit Grandma for thanksgiving, Clifford want's to visit his Mother for Thanksgiving and go's on an adventure to see her. Fun, cute book.
November 24, 2020
Beloved favorite on Thanksgiving.
November 28, 2020
This story brought me back to my childhood. It was fun to read it to my kindergarten library class. They loved it and I could swear that I heard Emily Elizabeth’s voice in my head while reading it.
November 29, 2020
And the nurses thought I had a big baby!
November 12, 2021
This book was very cute, and sweet. I enjoyed getting to see Clifford visit his family, but also what Emily and Clifford are truly thankful for.
November 24, 2021
Thanksgiving Storytime
November 16, 2023
My students always love Norman Bridwell's Clifford books. There is always a lesson to be learned with Clifford. He is such a loving and thoughtful character.
June 19, 2024
I like Clifford a lot. He went to his Mama for Thanksgiving... but he was just so big - Khi 3
November 20, 2024
Everyone loves Clifford books, it is easy to follow and a big red dog, who wouldn't love that! Not the strongest of books but a fun quick read.
March 2, 2025
The bond between Emily Elizabeth & Clifford is so cute ♥️🎀
May 6, 2025
(read aloud by himself at 5yo, no words missed)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews