Identify whether the word "childlike" has a negative or positive connotation when compared to "childish."

It depends in what sense you’re using it in. Say if you were to call some childlike meaning they don’t have responsibility and they do not act mature. that is using "childlike" in a negative manner. As for using it in a positive way, you’d be referring to their sense of humor or that the person is care free and some would say "you move like the wind and roll with the waves"