Module 2: Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney

Book Summary: Miss Alice Rumphius's grandfather was an artist. Like him, she wanted to travel the world and live by the sea when she was older. But there was a third thing he said she should do as well: "do something to make the world more beautiful" (Cooney, 1982). This is the story of how she did all three of those things, told from the perspective of her great-niece, who hopes to be like her aunt when she grows up.

APA Citation: Cooney, B. (1982). Miss rumphius. New York, NY: Viking.

Impressions: I was surprised by how much I enjoyed and related to Miss Rumphius. The story is one that anyone at any age can find relatable and charming. The desire to see the world, reach their goals, and to leave an impact on the world is one that is shared by those both young and old.

Personally, I loved that she worked in a library and followed her passions. She traveled far and wide, made friends in far corners of the earth, and finally retired by the sea--just as her grandfather did. It was when she was older that she found a way to make the world more beautiful: planting lupine flowers all over her community. It was uplifting and encouraging to see a story about dreams being born and accomplished at all ages throughout her life.

The artwork brought the story to life. Barbara Cooney did a superb job of recreating the clothing throughout the different eras of Miss Rumphius' life. The colors of the lupines are vibrant and beautiful. The details of the artwork within the pictures allows the reader/viewer to see how Miss Rumphius' life was full, adventurous, and beautiful.  

Professional Review: 

KIRKUS REVIEW

You might almost believe that Barbara Cooney had a Great-Aunt Alice Rumphius who did just as we read here--else why go to the trouble of spinning out a yarn, composed of transparent storybook motifs (an elderly grandfather who carves ships' figureheads; travels to exotic places; a solitary cottage by the sea), just to arrive at an old lady who strews lupine seeds about? Ostensibly, she's fulfilling her promise to her grandfather to "do something to make the world more beautiful"; in Barbara Cooney's precisionist Maine coast pictures, the drifts of lupine blooms are a tribute to the lupine lady per se. It's a lovely notion, in short, if not much (or too much) of a story.

Kirkus Review. (2012). [Review of the book Miss Rumphius by B. Cooney]. Kirkus review. Retrieved January 28, 2015 from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/barbara-cooney/miss-rumphius/

Library Uses: Miss Rumphius could be used in a story time where the children could do crafts that include paper flowers or creating lists of places they'd like to travel to with pictures of different locations to choose from.