The Story Behind the Ending of “Save Me A Share!”

One of the things author Hà Hoàng Trang enjoys most about writing picture-book scripts is bringing the kind of unexpected storytelling often found in adult narratives into stories for young children.

She enjoys gradually revealing details, leading readers towards a particular assumption and then presenting an ending that differs from what they expected. This technique is commonly used in stand-up comedy and has also been adopted by many talented picture-book authors around the world. In the author’s view, humour can be found in education, just as education can be found in humour.

How the Ending of “Save Me A Share!” Was Created

In Save Me A Share!, author Hà Hoàng Trang did not create a plot twist that was particularly difficult to predict. However, the ending may still be different from what adult readers initially imagine.

As the characters contribute rice and other ingredients, the storytelling illustrations by artist Lê Huy Nho encourage parents to consider several possible outcomes without being certain about how the story will actually end.

This sense of anticipation and prediction helps create an enjoyable reading experience for parents and children.

When an Ending Receives Different Reactions

The author has noticed that some parents enjoy the ending because they find it funny and unexpected. Others feel less comfortable with it because they worry that their children may imitate the reaction shown at the end of the story.

These responses raise a question: Would the story become less interesting if it ended exactly as everyone expected and wanted?

As with watching a film, when both the plot and the ending are easy to predict, the story may leave a weaker impression. By contrast, an unexpected detail may stay in the audience’s memory for longer, even when they do not entirely enjoy it.

An unexpected detail may stay in the audience’s memory for longer.

Children’s Reading Experiences May Differ from Those of Adults

According to author Hà Hoàng Trang, adults often assess a work through experiences accumulated over many years. Young children, meanwhile, are mostly introduced to books selected by their parents or other family members.

Parents usually decide which books are considered good enough to read to their children and which ones are regarded as unsuitable for the family bookshelf.

However, there are books in the author’s own home library that she does not particularly enjoy but that her child still loves. She has had to learn to accept this difference and to look for positive qualities in books that she once considered less appealing. This experience shows that a child’s response to a book does not always match an adult’s judgement.

Reading Is Not Only About Measurable Benefits

Reading in general, and picture-book reading in particular, is often discussed in terms of its benefits and its influence on readers’ behaviour.

However, author Hà Hoàng Trang believes that less attention is given to the reading experience itself: the changing emotions and states of mind that parents and children share while moving through a story. These feelings may include curiosity, anticipation, surprise, enjoyment or even a sense of disagreement with the ending. For the author, sharing these emotions can also be a form of slow living for people who love life and seek meaning in the small details around them.

Diverse Experiences Create a Colourful Inner World

When a young reader imitates a detail from the ending of “Save Me A Share!”, the author believes that parents can view it as a normal response. The fact that the child remembers the moment also suggests that the book has created an engaging reading experience.

According to author Hà Hoàng Trang, exposure to a wide variety of experiences gives children the opportunity to develop a richer and more colourful inner world. And if stories like this gradually help a child develop an interesting sense of humour, should parents really blame the book?

Have you and your child read “Save Me A Share!”? What feelings did the ending bring to your family’s reading experience?