Venus Washington Collective Set by Maisha Oso

Today, I'm presenting an entire series of books...three, together in one set. The Venus Washington series by Maisha Oso is a chapter book series, which appears to center around a very, lively girl and various life adventures she tackles with grace. Or, I'm betting, humor. From birthday excitement to games of eye-spy, this promises to be a series with some silliness and tons of heart. Flipping through the books, I also see quite a few illustrations with friends and family. Let's see what this one is all about

VENUS WASHINGTON COLLECTIVE SET

by Maisha Oso

Illustrated by Courtney Lovett

Simon & Schuster

Children's Fiction

304 pages total

ages 5 to 9

The three books in the Venus Washington series full of hilarious misunderstandings and hijinks are perfect for fans of Junie B. Jones and Dory Fantasmagory and now available together in one shrink-wrapped paperback collection!

Venus Washington has a planet-sized imagination and a talent for turning the ordinary into the extraordinary…which sometimes get her into super-sized trouble! One day she’s uncovering the toe-tally gross secret in Grandma’s lasagna, the next she’s masterminding the wildest birthday party in town, and then she’s pretty sure she’s blasting off to Venus itself.

Packed with humor, heart, and just the right amount of chaos, these three books bring together Venus, her besties (and frenemies), her loveable family, and Hamsterburger the hamster. Perfect for fans of funny, fast-paced chapter books that kids want to read again and again!

This zany shrink-wrapped paperback collection includes:
Venus Washington and the Lasagna Drama
Venus Washington and the Birthday Blowout
Venus Washington, Eye Spy

GOODREADS     /     AMAZON      /      PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

With tons of energy and a knack for taking everything extremely literally, Venus is a girl who brings chaos with her like a tornado.

This is a set of all three books in the Venus Washington series and is just right for those readers, who are sure of their words and are just settling into slightly longer tales. The books hover around a young girl, who takes everything said very literally and acts without thinking. Her twin neighbors tend to quickly get swept up into her adventures as accomplices, and her family (mother, father, baby brother, grandma, and grandpa) swirl through her antics with care and patience. Tons of patience. 

The three tales go in very several directions, making sure each adventure is different than the last. Lasagna Drama shoots off into silliness after Venus' grandfather states the grandmother put her foot in the lasagna. Birthday Blowout goes crazy as Venus is put in charge of her brother's 1st birthday party decorations and takes her father's statement that he doesn't want a boring, adult part to the extreme. And Eye Spy takes an insane direction after her father says that her mother has eyes on the back of her head, and that she's going on a trip with her to a place just like her name. All adventures pack humor and surprises, and will have readers wondering what in the world Venus will be up to next.

The books fit the intended reading audience wonderfully. The situations come from familiar moments of daily life, and the statements, which send Venus into her own directions, are often ones readers have probably heard themselves. The chapters are kept short to help readers get needed breaks, but the plot is quickly paced, making this one hard to put down. The plentiful illustrations not only entertain but also assist readers to understand what is happening. It creates an enjoyable read for the age group.

There are messages surrounding friendship, family, patience, and more in these pages. Venus is a force to be reckoned with, she's very quick and extreme in her reactions, and that guarantees plenty of smiles. I'd love to say that she's kind-hearted...and she is to an extent...but she also tends not to see beyond her own bubble, which leads to most of the silliness but also showcases a little lack of respect and thoughtfulness. For example, she ignores the teacher, talks back to adults, and causes literal damage. All of this receives mostly sighs or laughs from the adults with few consequences (she was grounded once). However, this is a fun read on the pun end of things. The literal way Venus understands sayings and statements will have readers thinking about such statements themselves. There will also be a few they haven't heard before. 

Summed up, this is a fun read with tons of humorous moments...and a character who always brings adventure and surprises.

And here they are...

Maisha Oso is the author of picture books Buster the Bully, My Hair Is a Book, Before the Ships, and the It’s Almost Time For… series, as well as the Venus Washington chapter book series. She writes stories to empower, entertain, and encourage emotional intelligence in young children. A former strategy and analytics professional from New York City, Maisha is currently working in her most challenging role to date: a stay-at-home mom of three tiny humans. Visit her at MaishaOso.com.

Courtney Lovett has a BFA in visual arts and animation from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. She works in different artistic disciplines, including illustration, character design, and animation. As a Black American and a native of the DC-Maryland-Virginia area, her work reflects her heritage and upbringing, focusing on perspectives that are often underrepresented or misrepresented in art and media. Visit her at CourtneyLovett.com.