Initial character concepts

I decided my story should have one or two mascots who appear throughout the book, to help guide students along and explain pieces of information to them in an understandable way. I felt an animal would best suit the topic of biology, as it adds more fun and interest from a typical classroom environment where a person is teaching.

After doing some research, I decided an animal that would best suit m character is a Guinea Pig. These are a few of the Guinea Pig facts I gathered, that I feel are relevant to their character design and personality:

-They thrive in groups
-Learn to recognize and bond with other guinea pigs
-Can learn complex paths
-Not very agile
-Easily startled
-Hop like popcorn when excited
-Good swimmers
-Frequently use for scientific research and experimentation
-Sounds they make: wheek=excited, squel=upset, purr=happy
-Males and females are very similar, other than in size
-Diets consist mostly of grass, fruits & vegetables and hay

Below are my reference sheets, and some initial character sketches-

Throughout this process, I modified my idea and decided to have two mascots. One would be a doctor; extremely smart and offer the textbook and scientific point of view, and the other would be the average pig; unaware, but trying to learn and sometimes foolish.