Venus Washington and the Lasagna Drama (Venus Washington #1)

An irrepressible eight-year-old is determined to learn her grandmother’s secret lasagna recipe in this charming chapter book series opener. When Venus Washington overhears her grandfather claim that “your grandma put her foot in this lasagna,” the child takes the saying literally. Enlisting her BFF, Summer Rivera—and, reluctantly, Summer’s twin sister, Winter, Venus’s “Worst Enemy Forever”—Venus sets out to uncover exactly how many of her grandma’s toes she believes have been sacrificed for the dish. Throughout her investigation, Venus navigates a series of comic misadventures involving imaginary mice, a very real and hungry hamster, and one destroyed lasagna in need of emergency repairs. Venus’s good-natured propensity for taking statements at face value—when Grandpa tells Venus “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse,” she replies, “I think Grandma only made lasagna today”—is a standout feature of this chaotic romp by Oso (Before the Ships), who recalls Amelia Bedelia flare to humorously capture one child’s delight in following her imagination wherever it may lead. Cartoony b&w illustrations by Lovett (Tornado Rescue) depict characters with various skin tones. Ages 5–9. Author’s agent: Jemiscoe Chambers-Black, Andrea Brown Literary. (Jan.)