It all starts with Miss Rumphius and the Ugly Duckling

Picture books for young children "are the foundation of literacy, cultural knowledge and cognitive growth," writes Robert Pondiscio.

He was asked to recommend the five best picture books by an Atlantic editor who saw these books as a way to “teach children the habit of turning pages, following a story, and becoming enchanted by literature.” That's only part of it, writes Pondiscio. Children's books contain sophisticated vocabulary and syntax. They teach children about the world.

Miss Rumphius transports a child across time and continents; The Story of Ferdinand opens a window onto Spain and the idea of individuality; The Snowy Day captures a child’s-eye view of a winter cityscape. These books do not simply tell stories — they build familiarity with cultural references, settings, and concepts that will reappear in literature, history, and science classes for years to come.

When "children are immersed in classic stories with familiar archetypes and structures," they learn to recognize story patterns and make sense of narratives, he writes.

"Children who know the story of The Tortoise and the Hare will grasp the moral arc of Lightning McQueen in Pixar’s Cars more intuitively," Pondiscio writes. "Those familiar with The Ugly Duckling are primed to appreciate the underdog triumph of Kung Fu Panda or Ratatouille. . . . Familiarity with Little Red Riding Hood prepares a child to recognize narrative cues in films like Into the Woods or Hoodwinked! — the stranger with the big smile, the danger that lurks beneath."

Pondiscio's five best picture books are anthologies, because children need exposure to lots of stories, not just a few. He lists: Aesop’s Fables, illustrated by Charles Santore (2018); The Real Mother Goose, illustrated by Blanche Fisher Wright (original 1916 edition; various reprints); A Year Full of Stories: 52 Folk Tales and Legends from Around the World by Angela McAllister, illustrated by Christopher Corr; Over the Hills and Far Away: A Treasury of Nursery Rhymes from Around the World, edited by Elizabeth Hammill, and An Anthology of Intriguing Animals.

My daughter and 20-month-old granddaughter are visiting next week. Caroline is growing up surrounded by books: Her mother is a literary agent. But I've been going through the books I've saved from my daughter's childhood -- and my own. Most are for older kids, but I have Ferdinand, Babar, The World's Great Myths and Legends, Children Around the World, Andersen's Fairy Tales, Animal Fairy Tales, The Mice Who Lived in a Shoe and a lot more. One of my favorites, Castles and Dragons, is out of print, but I have my battered copy.