His teacher, a bright-eyed owl named Professor Hoot, noticed Leo’s slumped shoulders. "Music isn't just for singing, Leo," the Professor chirped. "It’s the secret code for everything!"

Suddenly, the Professor tapped his baton. A catchy, familiar beat began to thump through the floorboards. Boom-chick, boom-chick.

By the time the song reached the big chorus, Leo wasn't just learning; he was performing! He realized that with a little rhythm, even the hardest lessons were as . He walked home that day realizing that the whole world had a song, and he finally knew how to read the lyrics.

"Listen to the rhythm," Hoot sang. "Reading is just like a melody! is the start of the song, and 1-2-3 is the beat that keeps us moving."

Leo started to tap his paw. As the music swelled, he realized that the letters weren't scary shapes anymore—they were notes. 'A' was a high note, 'B' was a middle note, and 'C' was a low note. Counting the fruit in his lunchbox felt just like counting the beats in a bar of music.