Norman Ray Bridwell (February 15, 1928 – December 12, 2014) was an American author and cartoonist best known for the Clifford the Big Red DogBridwell put together a portfolio and attempted to get a job as a children's book illustrator but was rejected by approximately fifteen publishing houses.^[5] While at Harper & Row, an editor offhandedly suggested he turn one of his drawings into a story. The drawing was of a young girl and a horse-sized bloodhound, and the story became Clifford the Big Red Dog.^[5] That book spawned over 40 best-selling Clifford books,^[5] three animated television series,^[6] merchandise,^[7] a live musical^[8] and a live-action film.^[9][10]

Bridwell's other successful books include The Witch Next Door and A Tiny Family. There are over 126 million copies of his books in print in 13 languages.^[3]