I find it interesting that things I would criticize about regular stories, I find charming in children’s stories. For example, some degree of predictability is part of the set of conventions for children’s stories. This isn’t because children are stupid. Instead, making stories slightly predictable is a subliminal part of teaching children to read critically. So when a kid listening to this story thinks, “Ah! Slowfingers could help Squonk get the flowers,” he is rewarded a few minutes later with the confirmation of his inferences. The process of inference from a story and testing of that inference is what much science fiction attempts to do for adults, but in the world of SF, the rules of cause and effect can be alien and the inferences can be difficult. Although it’s not what the “science” part of SF is supposed to refer to, the hypothesis testing in science fiction is what makes it enjoyable for me, so much more so than the technology.
Hmm.. Now that I've read that, I'm more inclined to like this story. Yeah, the reader should be given enough such that they can either anticipate what might happen, or look back and see that all the clues were there after all. It was the opposite of what I didn't like about EP106:
The House Beyond Your Sky.
I suppose having some "predictability" built into kids' stories, like having to overcome
three related obstacles, and all that (Joseph) Campbellian archetypal hero stuff adds a bit of ritual to it, making it more comforting to hear, even if slightly scary stuff happens. You just know that the
Third Billy Goat Gruff is going to open a can of whup-ass on that that Bridge Troll, but you're still curious to see exactly how it goes down.
I think what put me off while listening to
Squonk the Apprentice was (sorry, Stephen and Anna) the exaggerated delivery. Sometimes it works (like when
Robert Munsch reads his own work), sometimes it doesn't.
I might just start using "Stupid not-staying-on-my-head tree!" for a sig line. That absurdity was a high point for me, and still makes me chuckle.