> I genuinely think this mix of children's communication and humor is a clever way to make these big stories more approachable.

Agreed. I recall seeing similar things around the time of the 2008 financial crisis, to make the concepts around mortgage-backed securities and financial derivatives etc. digestible and clear.

Come to think of it, listening to Frog and Toad discuss subprime lending and credit default swaps would be an entertaining follow-up to TFA.