Stuff We Like: Happy Birthday, Clifford and Waldo!

Did you know that the world’s most common birthday is Sept. 16? If you’re one of them, a happy belated birthday to you! If not, check out this infographic to see where your and your children’s birthdays rank on the popularity scale (Christmas and Leap Year babies are the rarest).

If you were born later in the month, you’re also in good company. The stripes-loving Waldo from the Where’s Waldo? series is turning 25 on Sept. 21. And while the loveable Clifford the Big Red Dog doesn’t officially celebrate his “birthday” until Feb. 14, he’s kicking off his 50th year festivities a few months early, on Sept. 24. Both icons are celebrating their milestone anniversaries in big ways, with several fun new products.

Celebrate with Waldo

If you’re in Manhattan, scan the skyline for the Empire State Building on Sept. 21, when it will light up in red and white in Waldo’s honor.

Over the past 25 years, Waldo’s adventures have led him through time and space to countless locations from The Deep Sea to The Future, Outer Space, and Hollywood. The Where’s Waldo? books have been published in more than 38 countries and translated into more than 30 languages. In honor of his quarter-century mark, Candlewick Press has released the Where’s Waldo? 25th Anniversary Book ($16.99), a 26-page deluxe edition featuring a range of locations and characters plus never-before-seen searches and a poster. Waldo may have gotten his start in print, but at 25, he’s moving fast into the digital age. The Where’s Waldo? in Hollywood app by Ludia is available both for the iPhone ($1.99) and iPad ($2.99). Players can tackle star-studded challenges as they search for Wally among famous film sets.

Older Waldo might be interested to know that Japanese fashion label Comme des Garçons is releasing limited-edition Comme des Garçons+ Where’s Waldo? T-shirts and scarves ($245 and up; 212-604-9200), which will be available in its NYC store at 520 W. 22nd St. this fall. Additionally, vintage-inspired NYC-based eyewear company Warby Parker has renamed its black “Monroe” frames after Waldo ($95) as a tribute to the bespectacled pop culture icon.

Party with Clifford

Scholastic and Clifford’s creator, Norman Bridwell, will kick off the Big Red Dog’s birthday celebrations with the BIGGEST Birthday Party Ever in New York City on Sept. 24. K-2 classrooms can join the live webcast of the event by registering at scholastic.com/cliffordwebcast.

With more than 126 million books in print, Clifford has been teaching kids life lessons like sharing and helping others for half a century. In honor of his 50th anniversary, Scholastic has published Norman Bridwell’s Clifford Collection ($12.99), which includes six classic stories originally published between 1963 and 1977 and features an original letter from Bridwell as well as the never-before-seen 1962 painting that inspired the Clifford series. (Keep an eye out for new e-books in spring 2013!) Like Waldo, Clifford’s also gone digital, and he’s offering a new Clifford’s Big Birthday app($0.99)for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. In it, kids can help Emily Elizabeth plan the biggest birthday party ever for her beloved canine pal then play party games once the celebrations get started. Three new Facebook apps will be revealed on Clifford’s Facebook page in November, December, and January. Keep an eye on scholastic.com/cliffordfor more birthday specials and details on a live musical that’s coming to the NY metro area in February.