Comparing Bear's Busy Year And Clifford The Big Red Dog

Children's Books
The plots of the stories of Bear’s Busy Year and Clifford the Big Red Dog have many similarities and differences that distinguish them as both unique, and one in the same. The books we selected were Bear’s Busy Year by Marcia Leonard and Clifford the Big Red Dog by Norman Bridwell. The unnamed protagonist from Bear’s Busy Year is indeed a very busy little bear. He is always busy, all year. He likes to play outside, no matter the weather. Our other book, Clifford the Big Red Dog, is about Clifford, an abnormally large red dog, who is owned by Emily Elizabeth, who has a first name for a last name, for reasons which remain unexplained.
The plot of Bear’s Busy Year centers around Bear, a bear. The mysterious origins of his name are never revealed; one can only pray
Bear’s main goal throughout his various adventures, presented in a kind of montage, is not only to find entertainment. It is much more significant than that. Bear struggles for meaning, a struggle against the cold, unfeeling reality of sentient existence, a battle which is presented as one literally against and parallel to the outdoors, working enthusiastically within the confines of the seasons, but never obtaining satisfaction, no matter how hard he tries. This speaks to an inherent part of the human (or bear) condition, but what is truly inspiring is his perseverance in the face of meaninglessness. Clifford the Big Red Dog is about the relationship between a large maroon canine, identified within the story as Clifford, and his owner, Emily Elizabeth. Most of the book centers around the activities that Emily Elizabeth and Clifford engage in, and about the burden of owning such a difficult pet as Clifford. Providing food for a dog of Clifford’s stature is alone a nigh impossible task. Such a burden will likely leave Emily Elizabeth with psychological trauma that may turn her into a pyromaniac during her teenage