A young girl learns about hot liquids and appropriate safety measures in the educational picture book Izza’s Tea Party.
The book introduces Izza, who has been invited to a tea party at Grandma’s house. With her mother, her puppy Ella, and her bird Sonu, Izza walks to Grandma’s; once there, she’s eager to help, but Grandma warns that children should always stay five steps from the stove. Later, Izza is excited to try some cake on the table and pulls on the tablecloth to bring it closer, nearly toppling a kettle of hot tea. Her animals make noise to warn of the danger and Izza’s mom explains that hot tea “burns like fire.” Izza promises to stay five steps away from hot liquids, and to tell her friends to do the same.
Although the story is narrowly focused on particular elements of burn safety, the book is effective in making its points. The art is appealing, with convincing facial expressions and cute, engaging animals. The book also makes good use of dynamic visuals, such as an overhead view of the stove that shows a five-foot radius of safety expanding outward into the kitchen.
The story’s end reinforces the book’s message with interactive quizzes, in which children can circle pictures of hot liquids and answer true or false questions. There’s even a “Burn Safety Award” that children can sign, along with a parent, to show that they’ve mastered the concepts. The final page offers first-aid advice for scalding accidents.
The first line of the introduction —”This story focuses on preventing scald burns and its first aid”— is awkwardly worded, providing a clumsy start to the book. Otherwise, the writing is simple and clear.
Overall, Izza’s Tea Party takes an important topic and treats it with respect, while extending the warmth and love of Izza’s protective family to the lesson.
Also available in hardcover and ebook.
