History Cartoonist Nathan Hale visited Sinclairville Elementary School and Ripley Central School Thursday where he showcased his storytelling and artistic abilities. In Sinclairville, Hale presented to two different sections of grades Pre-K-2 and grades 3-5. Hale emphasized saying ‘yes’ to work at a young age and also finding interesting ways to discuss historic events. P-J photo by Jordan W. Patterson

SINCLAIRVILLE — Sinclairville students sat and listened as the writer to some of their favorite books detailed his journey to how he became a professional cartoonist. His explanation to how he found his career was simply by saying “yes.”

At Sinclairville, Nathan Hale presented to two different sections of grades pre-K-2 and grades 3-5. Hale also visited Ripley Central School as well as Cassadaga and Sinclairville area libraries. Hale’s visits were made possible by grant funding.

Josh Gilevski, Sinclairville principal, said the overall goal was “putting kids in the library.”

“It’s really important that they can connect something that they’ve truly experienced to what they’re seeing in front of them,” he said. “These students have read his books and they’ve lived vicariously through the books and now that he’s come in … they’re able to make that connection and it’s a little bit more important to them.”

Gilevski said bringing in Hale was “huge” to promoting early-age literacy in the district. The goal was to excite the students at school and then invite them and their parents to a meet and greet with Hale at the local libraries in Sinclairville and Cassadaga where they could also sign up for a library card.

Hale authors and draws the stories for the series “Hazardous Tales” with Abrams Books publishing company which also publishes the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” series. The “Hazardous Tales” series tells various historical stories from North American history. The series is also a New York Times No. 1 Bestseller.

Hale, originally from Utah, detailed his journey through storytelling and cartoons he drew digitally on screen to the younger section of Sinclairville students. He explained how he’s been able to make a career doing what he loved, all simply by saying ‘yes.”

In elementary school, Hale said he was deprived of TV, so he chose to draw instead. Shortly after, he was asked to draw a Halloween design for a classroom door that his class later enjoyed. Eventually, the projects grew bigger and more complex throughout his school years and eventually he was painting massive walls inside a Dinosaur museum. All because of saying “yes” to a job when he was younger.

When he began submitting stories and drawings to New York City publishers, he was ironically told “no” again and again. After he turned a wall at home into a shrine of rejection letters he finally received an acceptance letter and began having his stories published. While a slightly summarized version of how Hale got to where he is, he emphasized the power of saying “yes” to work because it could lead anywhere.

Students followed his journey to becoming a cartoonist with laughter and were even asked to participate in drawing at the end of the presentation.

“I think a lot of kids think they don’t have to figure out their job until they’re in college or out of college,” he said. “I think if you’re interested in (a career path) as a kid, start pursuing it. Why wait?”

Hale said the primary inspirations for his life impacted him when he was really young.

With the second section of older students, Hale told a story more in line with his “Hazardous Tales” series about explorers Louis and Clark. The presentation details the dietary problems of Louis and Clark on their journey across North America. The theme of the story is that there is “goofy nonfiction facts” laced throughout history books.

“It’s really just a big sales pitch for non-fiction,” he said.