Max and the Brave Little Smile

Chapter 1: A boy who is afraid of the doctor or the dentist

Max was seven years old, and he was good at lots of things. He could build tall block towers, count to one hundred, and whistle (almost). But there was one thing Max was not good at: being brave about the dentist.

On the morning of his checkup, he sat at the breakfast table and pushed his cereal around the bowl.

"I'm not hungry," he said.

"Max," said Mom gently, "is something on your mind?"

He stared at his spoon. "I don't want to go to the dentist."

"Can you tell me why?"

Max took a long breath. "The chair goes up and down. The light is super bright. There are scary tools. And what if it hurts?" His voice got smaller with each word. "And I don't know what they're going to do."

Mom didn't say, "Don't be silly." She came around the table and sat beside him.

"Thank you for telling me. Lots of people feel nervous about the dentist and the doctor, even grown-ups. Being scared doesn't mean you're not brave. It means you're a person with feelings."

Max sniffled. "Really?"