Venus Washington Paperback Collected Set: Venus Washington and the Lasagna Drama; Venus Washington and the Birthday Blowout; Venus Washington, Eye Spy

 Venus Washington Paperback Collected Set: Venus Washington and the Lasagna Drama; Venus Washington and the Birthday Blowout; Venus Washington, Eye Spy by Maisha Oso, illustrated by Courtney Lovett 
Publisher:  Atheneum Books for Young Readers 
Published:  September 22nd, 2026
Format Read:  Paperback
Number of pages:   304 pages
Source: Publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Venus wants to learn the secret behind her grandma's delicious lasagna recipe so she can help her mama, who has been busy caring for Venus's new baby brother, Zion.  But when the lasagna is ready, grandpa lets it slip that "your grandma put her foot in this lasagna."  Venus takes the expression literally and becomes convinced that the special ingredient must be one of her grandma's toes. 

Horrified by the thought of eating lasagna made with crusty feet, Venus asks her best friend Summer, her worst enemy Winter (who also happens to be Summer's twin), and even her pet hamster to help track down grandma's missing toe.  

  

 Venus's baby brother, Zion, is about to celebrate his first birthday.  Mama and Daddy tell Venus she can help with the decorations, but she interprets that to mean she's in charge of planning the entire party.  Soon she has a long list of ideas, including inviting all of her classmates and their pets, just no parents.  She also decides that every guest should bring a Barbie as a gift and pay an admission fee.  After all, she wants to help daddy save money, so he won't have to "lose an arm and a leg" paying for the party. 

  Venus Washington isn't sure where she got her name.  She was born on Earth and has never even been to Washington.  Then mama tells her that they are going on a special "girl's trip" together. Mama wants the destination to remain a surprise, but daddy accidently let's slip that it has something to do with Venus's name.  Naturally, Venus takes this as proof that she must be part alien.  After all, Daddy is always saying that mama has eyes in the back of her head.  Doesn't that make them both aliens?  Now Venus is determined to uncover the truth, especially when her friends challenge her to prove that mama has an extra set of eyes.    

This three-part paperback collection is super cute.  It's been described as Amelia Bedelia meets Junie B Jones and Dory Fantasmagory.  In each story, Venus takes common expressions literally, leading to a series of hilarious misunderstandings.  Whether she's trying to figure out what it means to be as "hungry as a horse" to the concept of a "spelling bee,"  Venus's conclusions are both well intentioned and funny.

  

Venus turns to her best friend Summer and Summer's twin sister, Winter, for help interpreting the confusing things that adults say.  Their efforts only add to the humor.   Filled with laugh-out-loud moments, this collection is sure to appeal to young readers who enjoy wordplay and silly misunderstandings.  The charming black-and-white illustrations are sprinkled throughout and complement the text beautifully.