Norman Ray Bridwell ( February 15 , 1928 -- December 12 , 2014 ) was an American author and cartoonist best known for the `` Clifford the Big Red Dog '' series of children 's books .
Norman Bridwell ( February 15 , 1928 -- December 12 , 2014 ) was an American author , cartoonist , and philanthropist . He was best known for creating `` Clifford the Big Red Dog '' .