The Look at the Book

There once was a boy named Rohan who had a big, round head full of even bigger dreams. But Rohan had one problem—he didn’t like doing homework. He’d rather fly paper planes or draw funny faces in the margins of his notebook.

Every day after school, his mother would call out gently, “Rohan, it’s book time!” And every day, Rohan would give the same look—eyes wide, mouth in a perfect “O,” as if the book had just told him a shocking secret. It was a mix of wonder, curiosity, and a tiny bit of dread.

One day, while sitting on his red rug, Rohan opened his math book with his usual look. His mother peeked from the kitchen and smiled. She’d seen that look hundreds of times. It meant something magical was about to begin—if only Rohan let it.

As he turned the first page, he whispered, “Here we go again…”
But this time, something felt different.

The numbers weren’t just numbers. They began to dance. The twos twirled like ballerinas. The fives wore caps and did high-fives. The sevens marched like soldiers. His eyes sparkled.

Suddenly, the page lit up, and a soft, glowing light rose from the book. Rohan blinked. Was he dreaming?

“Hello,” said a voice.
Rohan nearly dropped the book. “Wh-who’s there?”

“I’m the spirit of your book,” said a warm, smiling figure made entirely of pages and ink. “I’ve been waiting for that look.”

“What look?” asked Rohan, stunned.

“The look you give when you open me with a hint of wonder. The look that says, ‘Maybe there’s a story hidden even in the boring parts.’ That look unlocks my magic.”

Rohan grinned. “So… if I look with curiosity, the book helps me?”

“Exactly,” the spirit replied. “Books aren’t just paper and print. They’re doors. But you need the right eyes to see them.”

From that day forward, Rohan still gave the look—but it was different now. It wasn’t just surprise or hesitation. It was excitement, a spark that meant, “I wonder what I’ll discover today.”

He read science books and imagined flying to the moon. He read stories of kings and dragons and wrote some of his own. Even math made sense now—it was like solving a mystery.

His teachers noticed. His friends noticed. But more than that, Rohan noticed himself changing.

One afternoon, his little sister Meera watched him open his book and said, “Rohan, why do you always make that face?”

He smiled. “Because every time I look at a book, it feels like the book looks back at me—and says, ‘Let’s go on an adventure.’”

Meera blinked. “Can I come too?”

Rohan patted the rug beside him. “Always.”

And so, the boy who once hated homework became the boy who loved to look at the book—because he’d learned that every great adventure starts with just one curious glance.

Moral:
Sometimes all it takes to unlock the magic of learning is the look—a look filled with wonder, curiosity, and the belief that every book hides a treasure waiting to be discovered.