Clifford the Big Red Dog creator Norman Bridwell dies at 86

Norman Bridwell, an illustrator who created the beloved children's series Clifford the Big Red Dog, died Tuesday at 86, The Associated Press reports.

The series started in 1963 with Clifford, the Big Red Dog. It was the first of more than 40 books, with at least 120 million copies of items in the series selling worldwide.

"Norman personified the values that we as parents and educators hope to communicate to our children — kindness, compassion, helpfulness, gratitude — through the Clifford stories which have been loved for more than 50 years," Scholastic Chairman Dick Robinson said in a news release.

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Bridwell had completed two more books to be released next year, the publisher said.