Simplifying real life for kids isn't easy, but illustrator John Cardinal was up to the test.

“We use pictures to help understand things,” he told the first graders of John W. Decas Elementary School on Thursday morning.

The event was part of a global literacy program at the school.

Cardinal explained that symbols are used to convey ideas and showed children examples of some symbols prevalent in today's society: McDonald's golden arches, the crisp Apple logo, and the red Target bullseye. Even emojis are illustrations that describe emotions without using words, he explained.

Equipped with a slideshow and markers, Cardinal hosted a small symbols trivia with the boisterous children, then wowed them into silence with his simplified drawings of Spiderman, Batman, and the Marvel villain Ultron.

The 39-year-old artist has been drawing since he was about seven or eight years old. He studied at the Montserrat College of Art and worked as a freelance editorial illustrator in the early 2000s. He's held jobs at The Old Colony Memorial Newspaper in Plymouth and the Wareham Courier, but has been pursuing his own projects throughout his career.

Four years ago, Cardinal became involved with Evolved Publishing and has published his illustrations in three children's books since. His fourth book, “Sully P. Snooferpoof's Amazing New Forcefield,” is coming out next month and is a sequel to “Sully P. Snooferpoof's Amazing New Shadow.”

He creates greeting cards for Viabella, comic books for small publishers, and is constantly expanding his work. To view some of his work, visit his website www.monstaville.com.