Maybe Bad, Maybe Good

Maybe Bad, Maybe Good Cristina Willard

Illustrations by Dioph

Maybe Bad, Maybe Good

by Cristina Willard Illustrations by Dioph

Dedicated to great dads everywhere, especially my dad.

Good morning!

Liam Elliot woke with the morning sun on his face. It was so bright, he couldn’t open his eyes at first. But he felt the sun’s warmth on his skin and yawned and stretched into the new day Halfway through his yawn, he remembered the very bad thing happening that day. He had to go to the dentist for a check-up that morning.

Oh no!

The visit to the dentist went fine. His teeth Were A-OK, the chair was comfy, he got to look at puppy posters on the ceiling, and the dentist said that Liam Elliot had one loose tooth.

Not only did that mean that the tooth fairy was on the way, but he also got drawing paper, crayons, and a new blue toothbrush from the dentist. It turned out to be a very, very good morning.

A-OK!

Liam Elliot’s dad, Ian, drove him to school He didn’t like being late, but he was very much looking forward to seeing his best friend Charlie for class, lunch, and recess.

His dad walked him to class and Liam Elliot was so disappointed to see an empty seat where Charlie sat. His friend wasn’t in class— he had a cold and was staying home from school for the day.

Too bad!

At lunch time, Liam Elliot sat alone, picking at his food, and sad that Charlie wasn’t there to eat with him. But, after just a few minutes, a nice girl joined him at his table and said a cheerful, “Hi!” Her name was Amelia and she was a funny girl with shiny black hair and a wonderful laugh.

Liam Elliot was so pleased to have met a new friend. And they chatted all through lunch until the bell rang.

So nice!

The next morning, Liam Elliot woke up with a sore throat and a sneeze. That meant he was sick and couldn’t go on the field trip to the science museum.

He had been looking forward to this trip for weeks. There were all sorts of machines, cars, and science experiments he wanted to see and explore with his friends.

I’m missing out!

Before his dad went to work, his grandma and grandpa came over with soup and orange juice and lots of things to make Liam Elliot feel better.

They sat together all day and played board games, read books, and even sat around writing stories they made up on the spot.

He didn’t feel so bad anymore.

What a nice day!

As it started to get late, Liam Elliot missed his daddy. He asked his grandma and grandpa to call him at work and ask when he would be coming home.

Grandma dialed the number and waited.

He heard his grandma ask for Ian, but then learned he was out of the office.

Did that mean he was working late?

Come home soon!

Just a few minutes later, Liam Elliot heard a noise at the door. His dad was home already, And it was early!

He had rushed home to be with his son. And help take care of him so he would get well soon. Liam Elliot was so glad.

You are here!

After telling dad Ian about his day, Liam Elliot gave grandma and grandpa a kiss and hug And stood in the doorway until they drove away. He was so glad about the fun day they had together.

It was time for bed, the stars were getting brighter in the night sky. He shared a glass of water with his dad in the kitchen. They told jokes so funny that Liam Elliot knocked his cup on the floor.

Ooops!

But this just made his dad laugh harder and say, “Don’t cry over spilled water!” When Liam Elliot went to pick up his cup, he was in for a great surprise.

He found the stories he and his grandma and grandpa had written, which must have also fallen to the floor. Liam Elliot was excited to share his stories with his dad.

Yay!

Liam Elliot was ready to go to bed after a long and eventful day. He brushed his teeth with his new toothbrush, drank some water, felt his wriggly loose tooth, grabbed his story and his dad’s hand, and crawled under the covers.

He read his story about bad things happening To a good little boy named Liam Elliot that May have seemed scary, or sad, or upsetting That actually turned out to be good things after all.

About gifts from not-so-scary dentists.

About meeting sweet friends named Amelia.

About writing stories with family.

About how happy it made him to read with his dad at bedtime.

Then, with the moon softly lighting his face, Liam Elliot fell into a deep, happy sleep.

Good night!

About the Author

Cristina Willard Cristina is a writer and painter who lives in the suburbs of Chicago with her husband John and their dog, Leeloo.

This is her first children's book.

About the Artist

Dioph Dioph has been working in the world of design through the company Vectorable. With years of experience specializing in creating fun, simple illustrations for children's books, Dioph resides in Indonesia and holds Bachelor's degree in design.

Maybe Bad, Maybe Good 2021