Venus! Fierce and Fabulous

Our Universe #9

by Stacy McAnulty, Stevie Lewis (Illustrator)

Hello, darling neighbors! It's me, Venus!

Get ready to be utterly charmed as Venus herself spills all her secrets of the solar system in this witty and wonderfully informative picture book. Discover what makes Venus truly unique: from her intensely hot and, yes, a little stinky atmosphere, to her breathtaking, shimmering brilliance in the night sky. Unlike the other planets, Venus dances to her own rhythm - no moons, no rings, and a spin that's all her own!
Inside VENUS!, young readers will:

- Hear directly from Venus: Stacy McAnulty's signature humor shines as Venus playfully shares fascinating facts about herself.
- Marvel at Stevie Lewis's vibrant art: The illustrations bring Venus's dazzling personality and unique characteristics to life on every page.
- Learn about planetary science in an engaging way: Discover key features of Venus in a lighthearted and memorable manner.
- Continue their cosmic journey: Perfect for fans of the Our Universe series, VENUS! is a delightful companion to Earth! My First 4.54 Billion Years and Sun! One in a Billion.

With its irresistible blend of humor, kid-friendly facts, and stunning illustrations, VENUS! is an out-of-this-world addition to any bookshelf, sparking curiosity and a love for space in young readers. Get ready to fall in love with the sassiest star in our solar system!

Genres: Picture Books, Nonfiction, Childrens, Science, Space, Humor, Stem

40 pages, Hardcover

Published February 3, 2026

About the author

Stacy McAnulty is a children’s book author, who used to be a mechanical engineer, and dreams of someday being a dog therapist, a correspondent for The Daily Show, an astronaut, and a Green Bay Packer coach. She has written over 40 books, including the Indie Bestseller novel, The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl, and the 2017 Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Honor book Excellent Ed, illustrated by Julia Sarcone-Roach. Her other picture books include Earth! My First 4.54 Billion Years, illustrated by David Litchfield; Moon! Earth’s Best Friend and Sun! One in a Billion, both illustrated by Stevie Lewis; Love, Brave, and Beautiful, all three illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff; Mr. Fuzzbuster Knows He’s the Favorite, illustrated by Edward Hemingway; and 101 Reasons Why I’m Not Taking a Bath, illustrated by Joy Ang. She’s also authored the chapter book series The Dino Files. When not writing, Stacy likes to listen to NPR, bake triple-chocolate cupcakes, and eat triple-chocolate cupcakes. Originally from upstate NY, she now lives in NC with her 3 dogs and family.

Reviews

[Sue.the.very.busy.reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

VERY busy today learning about the planet VENUS with our new picture book, VENUS! Fierce and Fabulous from @mackidsbooks (out Feb. 3, 2026), written by Stacy McAnulty (@stacymcanullty) and illustrated by Stevie Lewis (@chocosweete).
Oh my goodness—this book was an instant HIT with the little ones! From the very first line, “Hello, darling neighbors,” the giggles had already begun. The gorgeous goddess illustration immediately caught the attention of my little fashionista granddaughter, and once we turned the page and saw Venus’s MUSCLES, my grandson was up and acting out the story. So. Much. FUN!
The perfect blend of humor and science makes this such an engaging read-aloud. The illustrations are adorable and totally relatable for young listeners, and the language breaks down big concepts in a way kids can truly understand. Each child walked away with a fun fact about Venus—and I loved that the book also introduced some approachable vocabulary. We even learned a few new words together, which made this a WIN for our letter-of-the-day lesson: V is for Venus!
Thank you to @mackidsbooks, Stacy McAnulty (@stacymcanullty), and Stevie Lewis (@chocosweete) for the gifted copy. VENUS! Fierce and Fabulous is out NOW wherever you buy books, and there’s a whole solar system series that looks absolutely FABULOUS! 🌎✨
ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN.

[Jame_EReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

👧🏻 review: Oh my goodness, this is such an amazing book packed with info, gorgeous illustrations and colors, creative writing, catchy phrases, funny story and unforgettable story. This non-fiction informative book makes science and Venus the perfect story for little learners to quickly understand, discover and appreciate our confusing solar system. It also provides an excellent overview, guide and source of information about what Venus is really all about.

I remember my mom told me that the preschool teachers used to call me little Ms Venus because of my spunkiness, fabulosity, fierceness and sassiness. After reading this I realized that I might have been miss Venus in this book. Thoroughly enjoyed this beautiful book and I will definitely and can’t wait to share and read this with the 1st grader at the library next week.

[Fabre Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Libro.fm for an advanced listening copy of Venus! Fierce and Fabulous. I am once again falling in love with children’s books. Listening to this audiobook was such a playful and fun experience. Great book to introduce children to the solar system, specifically Venus. Humorous and sassy, Venus reminds us she is a force to be reckoned with! It’s a very lighthearted way to engage with STEM. Can’t wait to order this for Anthology for Books! Thank you again to Stacy McAnulty and Odd Dot Books + MacMillan Audio productions.

[Krystal Kraft · Rating 5 out of 5]

🤩 Tell me why I just had the most fun reading this book to my 9 year old! I found I couldn’t read it without the added flair and sass though! When we finished reading she said, mom…Venus was fun, VERY sassy and very pretty! We enjoyed the story and I could actually tell you more about Venus now….from this book…than I could when I was actually in school! This is a very enjoyable, perfect length, cute illustrations and like I mentioned before, informative! Great book to have on your book shelf for you and your kids! Will be enjoyed over the years!

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm now all about reading through the entire McAnulty universe series because Venus! was absolutely fierce and fabulous-- about sharing information in a fun, approachable, and fantastic way that I will remember such as the fact that her year is shorter than her day and that she doesn't have rings or moons and that she stinks like rotten eggs because of the yellow clouds around her.

Anthropomorphizing the planet is the idea of the series sharing the cool facts about each of the planets. Can't wait to get my hands on more of them to read.

[Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm Venus! Beautiful and lovely! A goddess! But I'm also fierce, fabulous, smelly, and odd. The total package!

Author McAnulty parallels planet facts with feminism (or "promoting positive female characteristics" if feminism is too heavy-handed a word for you):

Venus is fierce (the hottest planet in our solar system), independent (it rotates in the opposite direction of the other planets), and brilliant (it is the third brighest object in the sky, after the Sun and moon), etc.

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 5 out of 5]

Venus! Fierce and Fabulous by Stacy McAnulty and Stevie Lewis. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Odd Dot (Macmillan), 2026. $19. 9781250334473
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3), EL - ESSENTIAL
APPEALS TO: MANY
McAnulty brings her characteristic wit to teaching us all about Venus in the newest book in her “stellar” series.
Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

[Nicole (Bookiesandtea) · Rating 5 out of 5]

My boys were so thrilled to read this! Between the vibrant illustrations and the humor, they were hooked. Now they're asking for every other book in the "Our Universe" series!

​The highlight? Venus mentioning, "I reek like rotten eggs because of my yellow clouds." They laughed so hard! 😆 It’s the perfect way to spark a love for space in young readers.

[Bethe · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars. A diva! Love the attitude of our only planet named for a female, lots of her surface features are also named for women. Usual facts and comparisons, entertaining back matter, and a list of current sources dated 2023 or later. Has McAnulty helped all the planets tell their stories? Note to self: when I add this to book orders, make sure schools have all the Our Universe series!

[Nichole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love this whole series. No book in it has yet disappointed. I like that the planets each have their own distinct voice and that they're always so positive, no matter the qualities of the planet. (Stinky?! Who cares! I'm great! LOL)

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the way Stacy approaches the information about the planets around the earth from the perspective of a planet with style and attitude. The writing is fun and has attitude or a personality of this planet.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book form McAnulty that teaches about one of the planets in our solar system. My kids love this series. This makes learning about the planets in a fun, easy way with eye-catching illistrations.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

McAnulty offers readers facts slipped in with humor as she personifies the planets, etc. in her Our Universe series. In this book, Venus tells readers how amazing she is. Elementary level readers love the artwork and the short text.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining nonfiction picture book that has the feisty planet Venus describing her environment and comparing it to the other planets. It's a humorous presentation that also delivers a lot of facts. A fun and informative book to include in units introducing the planets.

[Niki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a audiobook version of Venus! Fierce and Fabulous! to review and rate. Love the audiobook and I can't wait to get the picture book for my libraries!

[Renee Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun and sassy way to introduce kids to our fiercest planet. Perfect age-appropriate facts are delivered in a way that kids who watch Disney cartoons will love!

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful as always and very informational. We learned a lot about Venus.

[AJ Easterday · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the funnest entries in this picture book series! I love that "Venus is a girl-power planet" is a real quote from this book.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 8 year old daughter loves this series!

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

These are a fun series read alouds because she has created definite personalities for each planet, etc.

[Meredith · Rating 2 out of 5]

But how can your year be shorter than your day? Stinky oddball indeed!

[Ossy Firstan · Rating 4 out of 5]

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[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great addition to the series. High hopes that every planet gets a book!

[J New · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is both cute and informative

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so cute! Though Venus is a bit of a snob. Lol Kids would learn much about Venus in a fun way with lots of laughs in the process!