A gymnasium full of Parkway Manor Elementary School students helped create an unforgettable cartoon character when children’s author and illustrator Mat Heagerty visited the school Oct. 29.

Speaking to third-, fourth- and fifth-grade students, Heagerty shared how being diagnosed with dyslexia and ADHD made school challenging as a child, but ultimately helped shape his career as an author and illustrator. He now travels to schools across the country encouraging students to view learning differences as strengths.

Heagerty said he was inspired to start drawing by the father of a childhood friend, children’s author Andrew Clements, whose success in children’s literature helped spark his interest in storytelling and illustration.

The presentation quickly became interactive when Heagerty asked students to help invent a new cartoon character. Suggestions poured in, including a chicken nugget, astronaut, lawyer, suitcase, flowers, Stanley Cup, water bottle and golf clubs.

Combining the ideas into a single drawing, Heagerty and the students created a character named “Tom.” Student volunteers then helped build a story around the creation, turning the exercise into a lesson in imagination and storytelling.

The visit mixed humor, art and inspiration, leaving students with a message that creativity and unique ways of thinking can lead to success.