Maybe Tomorrow?

Maybe Tomorrow tells the story of Elba, a young hippo grieving the death of her friend Little Bird. Overwhelmed by sadness, Elba carries her grief as a heavy presence, unsure when she will feel better or how to move forward.

Norris, a crocodile who never knew Little Bird, chooses to sit with Elba in her sadness. He explains that he does not need to know the friend who died to share the grief, because he knows Elba and cares about her pain. Together, they move through the days, allowing sadness to exist without trying to erase it.

Through gentle repetition and metaphor, the story shows that grief can be shared, carried, and slowly changed by connection. Healing is not promised or rushed, but emerges gradually, maybe tomorrow, through companionship, emotional validation, and time.

The illustrations use a soft yet expressive palette that shifts with Elba’s emotional state. Periods of deep sadness are marked by darker, heavier backgrounds, while moments of connection introduce brighter tones and warmth. Sadness is physically represented as a large, heavy box that Elba carries, visually conveying the weight and persistence of grief.

Norris is illustrated in brighter colors and often accompanied by butterflies, creating gentle contrast without overpowering Elba’s experience. As the story progresses, the box slowly becomes smaller, reflecting how grief can change over time when it is shared. The combination of color shifts, recurring symbols, and visual metaphor helps young readers understand sadness as something real, heavy, and movable, without suggesting it must disappear.