diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -361,7 +361,7 @@
 viewModel :: Model -> View Action
 viewModel x = div_ [] [
    button_ [ onClick AddOne ] [ text "+" ]
- , text (show x)
+ , text $ toMisoString (show x)
  , button_ [ onClick SubtractOne ] [ text "-" ]
  ]
 ```
diff --git a/examples/compose-update/Main.hs b/examples/compose-update/Main.hs
--- a/examples/compose-update/Main.hs
+++ b/examples/compose-update/Main.hs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 {-# LANGUAGE RankNTypes #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE RecordWildCards #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE TupleSections #-}
+{-# LANGUAGE OverloadedStrings #-}
 module Main where
 
 -- This example demonstrates how you can split your update function
@@ -13,6 +14,7 @@
 
 import Miso
 import Miso.Lens
+import Miso.String
 
 -- In this slightly contrived example, our model consists of two
 -- counters. When one of those counters is incremented, the other is
@@ -100,6 +102,6 @@
   div_
     []
     [ button_ [onClick Increment] [text "+"]
-    , text (show x <> " | " <> show y)
+    , text (ms (show x) <> " | " <> ms (show y))
     , button_ [onClick Decrement] [text "-"]
     ]
diff --git a/examples/router/Main.hs b/examples/router/Main.hs
--- a/examples/router/Main.hs
+++ b/examples/router/Main.hs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 {-# LANGUAGE ScopedTypeVariables #-}
+{-# LANGUAGE OverloadedStrings #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE TypeOperators #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE DataKinds #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE RecordWildCards #-}
diff --git a/exe/Main.hs b/exe/Main.hs
--- a/exe/Main.hs
+++ b/exe/Main.hs
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
+{-# LANGUAGE OverloadedStrings #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE RecordWildCards #-}
 module Main where
 
 import Miso
+import Miso.String
 
 type Model = Int
 
@@ -31,6 +33,7 @@
 viewModel :: Int -> View Action
 viewModel x = div_ [] [
    button_ [ onClick AddOne ] [ text "+" ]
- , text (show x)
+ , text $ ms (show x)
  , button_ [ onClick SubtractOne ] [ text "-" ]
  ]
+
diff --git a/ghc-src/Miso/Html/Internal.hs b/ghc-src/Miso/Html/Internal.hs
--- a/ghc-src/Miso/Html/Internal.hs
+++ b/ghc-src/Miso/Html/Internal.hs
@@ -132,8 +132,8 @@
   in View VNode {..}
 
 -- | `VText` creation
-text :: ToMisoString str => str -> View action
-text x = View $ VText (toMisoString x)
+text :: MisoString -> View action
+text = View . VText
 
 -- | Key for specific children patch
 newtype Key = Key MisoString
diff --git a/ghc-src/Miso/String.hs b/ghc-src/Miso/String.hs
--- a/ghc-src/Miso/String.hs
+++ b/ghc-src/Miso/String.hs
@@ -13,12 +13,14 @@
 module Miso.String
   ( ToMisoString (..)
   , MisoString
+  , module Data.Monoid
   , module Data.Text
+  , ms
   ) where
 
-import           Data.Aeson
 import qualified Data.ByteString         as B
 import qualified Data.ByteString.Lazy    as BL
+import           Data.Monoid
 import           Data.Text
 import qualified Data.Text               as T
 import qualified Data.Text.Encoding      as T
@@ -29,10 +31,15 @@
 type MisoString = Text
 
 -- | Convenience class for creating `MisoString` from other string-like types
-class ToMisoString str where toMisoString :: str -> MisoString
+class ToMisoString str where
+  toMisoString :: str -> MisoString
+
+-- | Convenience function, shorthand for `toMisoString`
+ms :: ToMisoString str => str -> MisoString
+ms = toMisoString
+
 instance ToMisoString MisoString where toMisoString = id
 instance ToMisoString String where toMisoString = T.pack
 instance ToMisoString LT.Text where toMisoString = LT.toStrict
 instance ToMisoString B.ByteString where toMisoString = toMisoString . T.decodeUtf8
 instance ToMisoString BL.ByteString where toMisoString = toMisoString . LT.decodeUtf8
-instance ToMisoString Value where toMisoString = toMisoString . encode
diff --git a/ghcjs-src/Miso/Html/Internal.hs b/ghcjs-src/Miso/Html/Internal.hs
--- a/ghcjs-src/Miso/Html/Internal.hs
+++ b/ghcjs-src/Miso/Html/Internal.hs
@@ -142,11 +142,11 @@
   deriving (Show, Eq)
 
 -- | `VText` creation
-text :: ToMisoString str => str -> View m
+text :: MisoString -> View m
 text t = View . const $ do
   vtree <- create
   set "type" ("vtext" :: JSString) vtree
-  set "text" (toMisoString t) vtree
+  set "text" t vtree
   pure $ VTree vtree
 
 -- | For use with child reconciliaton algorithm
diff --git a/ghcjs-src/Miso/String.hs b/ghcjs-src/Miso/String.hs
--- a/ghcjs-src/Miso/String.hs
+++ b/ghcjs-src/Miso/String.hs
@@ -14,9 +14,11 @@
 -- Portability :  non-portable
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 module Miso.String (
-    MisoString
+    ToMisoString (..)
+  , MisoString
   , module Data.JSString
-  , ToMisoString (..)
+  , module Data.Monoid
+  , ms
   ) where
 
 import           Data.Aeson
@@ -24,6 +26,7 @@
 import qualified Data.ByteString.Lazy    as BL
 import           Data.JSString
 import           Data.JSString.Text
+import           Data.Monoid
 import qualified Data.Text               as T
 import qualified Data.Text.Encoding      as T
 import qualified Data.Text.Lazy          as LT
@@ -46,10 +49,13 @@
 class ToMisoString str where
   toMisoString :: str -> MisoString
 
+-- | Convenience function, shorthand for `toMisoString`
+ms :: ToMisoString str => str -> MisoString
+ms = toMisoString
+
 instance ToMisoString MisoString where toMisoString = id
 instance ToMisoString String where toMisoString = pack
 instance ToMisoString T.Text where toMisoString = textToJSString
 instance ToMisoString LT.Text where toMisoString = lazyTextToJSString
 instance ToMisoString B.ByteString where toMisoString = toMisoString . T.decodeUtf8
 instance ToMisoString BL.ByteString where toMisoString = toMisoString . LT.decodeUtf8
-instance ToMisoString Value where toMisoString = toMisoString . encode 
diff --git a/miso.cabal b/miso.cabal
--- a/miso.cabal
+++ b/miso.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name:                miso
-version:             0.5.0.0
+version:             0.6.0.0
 category:            Web, Miso, Data Structures
 license:             BSD3
 license-file:        LICENSE