By Maeve Sterling
Jeff Kinney, author of the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” series, stopped in Fayetteville for the 11th stop on his tour, “The Partypooper Show,” held in the Fayetteville High School Auditorium. The show, filled with nods to the creation of “Diary of a Wimpy Kid,” brought laughter, surprises and plenty of audience participation.
Each ticket included an autographed copy of “The Partypooper Show,” along with a collectible card featuring unique illustrations of new Wimpy Kid characters. Audience members whose cards showed designs such as “an evil broccoli in tidy whiteys” were invited on stage with their parents to join Kinney’s wacky competitions.
Daniel Jordan from Pearl’s Books, the independent bookstore hosting the event, opened the show and expressed excitement at seeing “so many young readers” in attendance. After introducing Kinney’s career achievements, including his international bestselling status and Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards, the audience watched a video highlighting his creative journey.
Kinney thanked parents for fostering their children’s love of reading, calling it a way to inspire future authors. He encouraged support for local bookstores such as Pearl’s before theatrically revealing a live count of Wimpy Kid sales, joking that “each book would be recalled” if they failed to hit a milestone.
The first game brought two children and their parents to the stage for a balloon race that had everyone laughing. Kinney then treated the crowd to a surprise: the trailer for “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw,” the upcoming animated film on Disney+.
Three children with pink dots on their cards competed in Wimpy Kid trivia, earning laughs when Kinney quipped, “What’s the color of the orange book?” Another round brought a mother-daughter duo to play a Wimpy-themed taste test inspired by Beanboozled, where the daughter got sweet flavors while her mom tasted grass and soap.
Kinney then revealed the cover for “Awesome Friendly Spooky Stories 2,” drawing playful gasps as Rowley Jefferson was shown trapped in a spiderweb.
Next, an unenthusiastic clown named Hopeless shuffled on stage, delivering a deadpan “six out of seven” joke before disappearing. A mother-daughter pair faced off in a “party punch” race, only to discover the mom’s hidden jug of punch made victory impossible. The rematch, a cup-stacking competition, ended in a tie.
Hopeless soon returned, asking for toilet paper and teasing Kinney with, “J.K. Rowling’s sold more books than you,” before exiting again.
For the next challenge, Kinney hosted a “Try Not to Laugh” game. When a dad failed to amuse his daughter, a Wimpy Kid movie clip played, prompting him to mimic the ridiculous poses on-screen. As he moved, the sound effects shifted to comic flatulence, summoning “Sgt. Stinkwell” from the local “fart police.”
Kinney, feigning innocence, said, “I’m not a snitch.” The dad was playfully “charged” with public flatulence and handed Gas-X as his warning.
A giant piñata named Bitsy then entered nervously for a game of tag. Three young girls chased her offstage and triumphantly returned with bags of candy.
In another skit, an influencer named Jessica S., playing an exaggerated mom, accused Kinney of “hating children” before storming offstage. Kinney followed the chaos with a “parent dance party,” promising the winners a ride on the “Wimpy Wagon” tour bus. Parents danced while children cheered for their favorites, crowning contestants five and six as the winners.
However, the influencer’s “scandal” caused a fictional drop in book sales. To lift spirits, Kinney showed a montage of the series’s earliest fans, now adults, celebrating its success. At that moment, the show’s goal of 300 million books sold was reached.
As a giant pink strawberry cake rolled on stage, Kinney selected a child and parent to receive the milestone book. When the boy accepted the “300 millionth copy,” the auditorium erupted in cheers, bubbles and confetti. Hopeless the clown then leapt through the onstage cake, capping the chaos with laughter.
As Kinney posed for a group photo with the audience, Jessica S. made one last surprise appearance and pied him in the face to end the night.
By the end of the evening, the event had transformed from a book tour stop into something greater. Kinney made sure to highlight family and the simple joy of reading together. Parents and children shared the same stories and experiences through the book series, reminding people that books can still bring people together in the most joyful way.