Dog Days by Jeff Kinney
Book four in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, Dog Days was released just in time for the summer of 2009. Like all of the books released in the series, Dog Days contains the same unique physical characteristics. Each book cover resembles the layout of an actually "diary." The word "DIARY" on the top is in a formal, all caps font while "Of a Wimpy Kid" appears in a font much like a child's handwriting. The title of each book ("Dog Days" in this case) is written in a thick, black, permanent marker-type font. Parts of the font appear to "leak," causing the book to look "well used." Each book also contains a unique drawing that is always part of the story. The cover picture points out the main character's "unfortunate," reoccurring, bad luck in every book. After reading the first book, the reader will understand why Greg (the main character) loses the top of his ice cream and is frowning in the cover picture (that is something that would only happen to Greg in the story.) Each cover picture relates to the specific theme of the book (summer, winter, siblings, etc.) Shiny "tape" appears on the edges of each cover picture to make the cover seem more "diary-like" and created by a child. The background is matte, which makes the title, cover picture, and "tape" truly stand out.
The frontmatter in each Diary of a Wimpy Kid is unique to each book. The very first page always contains a humorous drawing that can only be explained by reading the book. Dog Days contains an illustration of a "crawling" hand that appears to be falling apart as it moves. Kinney uses this technique to "tease" the reader and draw them into the book. The same characters are always lined up on the dedication and title pages. However, the fourth character from the left is always different in each book and serves as another "teaser" to its content. In Dog Days, "Sweetie" the dog serves as this character. Greg is always located at the end of the line, facing the other characters. The publisher, Amulet Books, serves as a "divider" between him and the other characters. This is another way Kinney stresses the notion of the main character's train of thought: "It's Greg vs. the World." The back of the book contain another small picture from the story and various reviews that are all "taped" up, again serving as a technique to make each "diary" seem authentic.
Dog Days, like the other books in the series, contains a unique and theme-based plot where the main character Greg, is constantly "getting the short end of the stick." Greg represents the "average" kid (not popular, yet not hated) experiencing the typical emotions and feelings of any child his age. As Greg approaches adolescence, his attitudes and feelings reflect his insecurity, and his need for acceptance. Greg is constantly searching for his "fit" in society and stumbles quite frequently on the way. Kinney's sense of humor (which is even appealing to children and adults alike) is reflected in both the text and illustrations. I have seen children in all grade levels reading this book (as young as first grade and as old as a high school senior.) It is completely understandable why this series appeals to such a broad audience: a part of every reader can relate to (or has related to) Greg at some point in their life and Kinney's humor makes each book a treat to read.
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