Reviewed by Mamta Madhavan for Readers' Favorite

Pea Soup Disaster: A Gregory Green Adventure Volume 1 by Elaine Kaye is a delightful story with an excellent message for young readers. Gregory Green opens his lunch box and he is excited to see a thermos full of his favorite pea soup. His classmate, Thomas, makes a face and says it looks like squashed green bugs. The laughing and the stares go on, but Gregory continues to eat. Everyone starts calling him a monster and they tell him that he is a green man from Mars, a wet booger, and resembles a giant, green bug. Gregory looks at his arm and it is really green. Gregory is so hurt that he wants to run away and hide. Sammy, his teddy bear, comes to his aid. Sammy tells Gregory that he has to stand up to the bullies. How do they sort it out?

The story handles the topic of bullying well and many children will find Gregory’s story real and relatable. The illustrations are eye-catching and they give clarity to the author’s concept and bring the characters and scenes to life. It is a good storybook for all children and will help them to cope with bullies in school and other places. Bullying is not fun and, with colorful illustration and interesting characters, the author handles the topic in a simple manner, giving a clear message about how the color of one’s skin is not important. It is a perfect book for children starting school or joining a new school midway as it will give them the confidence and courage to stand up to bullies in case they run into them.