Tucked behind the 9-foot-tall statue of Clifford the Big Red Dog that oversees the exhibit bearing his name is a small nook.
Inside, stools emblazoned with dog bone images are scattered about. Clifford-centric artwork created by children lines the makeshift walls, and a couple of video monitors replay an interview with Norman Bridwell,the creator of the sweet-natured, cinnamon-colored pup.
This is the Birdwell Island Library and Norman Bridwell Art Retrospective, and the primary spot where parents and grandparents will want to settle while their small charges explore the rest of “Adventures with Clifford the Big Red Dog.”
The latest exhibit at Imagine It! The Children’s Museum of Atlanta marks its Southeast debut, said Karen Kelly, director of exhibits and education at the museum.
The Clifford display was created at the Minnesota Children’s Museum and has traveled the country for about eight years.
Kelly said the decision to acquire “Clifford” was based on the character’s appeal to children and the lessons he proffers, such as celebrating diversity and treating each other with kindness.
Indeed, throughout the 2,500-square-foot display are plaques bearing maxims such as “Make the most of imagination and be honest” and “Be a good friend. Learn to share toys and respect each other.”
The messages are aimed at the exhibit’s primary audience -- those 6 and under -- but it’s likely that same crowd will be more involved in sliding down the tail of the Clifford mascot, steering the Birdwell Island Ferry stationed at the entrance of the display and donning mini Postal Service uniforms to sort letters at the Birdwell Island Post Office.
Many of Clifford’s friends represented in the Scholastic books make appearances as well. Older kids will appreciate Samuel’s Fish and Chips Shack, where they can role-play as chefs and restaurant workers using plastic breaded shrimp, burgers and a cash register. And the less culinary-inclined can simply hop on a stool on the other side of the counter to “eat” the prepared meal.
Clifford’s message of sharing is demonstrated in Mary’s Musical Marina, where visitors can tap on a bone-shaped xylophone or thump on congas, and creative instincts will be unleashed inside Clifford’s Big Red Doghouse, where tables are set up for arts and crafts and writing letters.
The museum’s Imaginators troupe will perform its “Big Hearts” skit daily, a show that demonstrates how a new kid at school deals with the class bully.
“The kids in the audience really get into it,” Kelly said. “We’ve had some school groups come out, and the teachers, ... nodding and smiling at the message, and that’s awesome to see.”
No doubt the floppy-eared canine represents goodness and tolerance, no matter the generation.
As Bridwell is quoted on the wall of the library: “He’s red and he’s warm. Clifford does what you’d like to do but can’t.”
Exhibit preview
“Adventures with Clifford the Big Red Dog”
10 a.m.-4 p.m. Mondays-Fridays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays. Through May 6. $12.75, ages 2 and older; free, children under 2. Imagine It! The Children's Museum of Atlanta. 275 Centennial Olympic Park Drive N.W., Atlanta. 404-659-5437, www.childrensmuseumatlanta.org.
Other Clifford programming
Clifford Helping Hands Storytime, 3 p.m. Mondays
“Big Hearts” production by the Imaginators, 11:30 a.m. Mondays-Tuesdays; 1 p.m. Wednesdays; 11 a.m. Thursdays-Fridays; 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Saturdays; noon Sundays.
Laugh and Learn: Clifford’s Big Ideas, 10:30 a.m. Saturdays
About the Author
