Before the words, there was wonder. The One Who Listens is a gentle, visionary picture book that invites the youngest readers-and those who guide them-into the sacred stillness of attention. Rooted in the principles of Montessori, this 12-page visual parable nurtures the absorbent mind through calm presence, rich illustration, and poetic simplicity. Crafted for children ages 3-5, this is not just a story-it is the beginning of a lifelong relationship with meaning. As the Genesis of A Life of Meaning Through the Seasons of Growth, this book awakens the moral imagination before language takes hold. It precedes identity, precedes ambition, precedes even speech. In the silence of these pages, a child learns to attune-to self, to other, to the quiet wisdom of listening. From Salvador Monastra-Sebasco, author of The Boy, the King, and the Chihuahua and Lead with Love, this foundational work is designed to plant the earliest seeds of emotional literacy, relational attunement, and embodied presence. It offers parents, educators, and caregivers a calm, enduring way to say: "I see you. I hear you. Let's grow, together."Begin before the beginning.Teach love before it is named.Start with the one who listens.